Utz Brands' ROCE at 1.0%, Lacks Multi-Bagger Potential
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 27 2025
0mins
Source: Yahoo Finance
- ROCE Analysis: Utz Brands has a Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) of 1.0%, significantly below the food industry average of 9.1%, indicating inefficiencies in capital utilization that may hinder future investment appeal.
- Capital Investment Trends: Over the past five years, Utz Brands has increased its capital employed by 29%, yet the ROCE has remained stagnant at around 1.0%, suggesting the company is not deploying new capital into high-return investments, leading to diminished market confidence.
- Poor Stock Performance: The stock has declined by 49% over the last five years, reflecting a pessimistic outlook from the market regarding its growth potential, which exacerbates investor concerns.
- Risk Warnings: While Utz Brands is reinvesting in its business, the lack of improvement in returns and the presence of two warning signs necessitate cautious evaluation of its long-term investment value.
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Analyst Views on UTZ
Wall Street analysts forecast UTZ stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for UTZ is 14.79 USD with a low forecast of 11.50 USD and a high forecast of 20.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
8 Analyst Rating
6 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 10.250
Low
11.50
Averages
14.79
High
20.00
Current: 10.250
Low
11.50
Averages
14.79
High
20.00
About UTZ
Utz Brands, Inc. manufactures a diverse portfolio of savory snacks through various brands, including Utz, On The Border Chips & Dips, Zapp’s, and Boulder Canyon, among others. The Company sells a variety of salty snacks under the Utz brand, including potato chips, pretzels, cheese snacks, pub/party mixes, and seasonal favorites. The Company’s On The Border brand (OTB) is a national brand of tortilla chips, salsa and queso. Its Boulder Canyon brand offers a line of BFY potato chips, including those made with olive or avocado oils. The Company's Zapp’s brand offers a line of kettle-cooked potato chips with bold, authentic flavors steeped in its New Orleans roots, including Voodoo, Hotter ‘N’ Hot Jalapeno, Spicy Cajun Crawtators, and Cajun Dill Gator-tators, among others. It also sells certain third-party branded products through its distribution network. The Company's products are distributed nationally through grocery, mass merchandisers, club, convenience, drug, and other channels.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Utz Brands (UTZ) Projects Q4 2025 Sales of $343 Million
- Sales Growth Outlook: Utz Brands anticipates Q4 2025 net sales between $342 million and $343 million, reflecting organic growth of 0.3% to 0.6% year-over-year, indicating stable market demand.
- EBITDA Improvement: The company expects adjusted EBITDA to range from $62 million to $64 million in Q4, representing a year-over-year increase of 17% to 21%, showcasing enhanced cost control and operational efficiency.
- Full Year Performance Forecast: For the full year 2025, Utz Brands projects net sales of $1.439 billion to $1.440 billion, with organic growth of 2.4% to 2.5% compared to 2024, highlighting ongoing market expansion potential.
- Future Guidance Announcement: The company plans to release full financial results and 2026 guidance on February 12, with investors closely monitoring this to assess the effectiveness of future growth strategies.
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Boulder Canyon Launches First National Brand Campaign 'Be for Real' to Promote Authentic Experiences
- Campaign Launch: Boulder Canyon has initiated its first national brand campaign, 'Be for Real,' in collaboration with The Sasha Group, aiming to encourage consumers to disconnect from digital distractions and reconnect with real moments, thereby enhancing brand awareness.
- Market Positioning: The campaign will be showcased across social media, online videos, and shopping venues, emphasizing the brand's commitment to real, simple ingredients, particularly North American-grown potatoes, avocado oil, and sea salt, further solidifying its position in the healthy snack market.
- Consumer Engagement: This initiative seeks to remind consumers to cherish authentic experiences in a world dominated by AI images and social media trends, thereby strengthening the emotional connection between the brand and its customers and enhancing customer loyalty.
- Brand Legacy Continuation: Since its founding in 1994, Boulder Canyon has consistently used select ingredients to create delicious snacks, and this campaign serves as a natural extension of the brand essence, highlighting its commitment to genuine consumer experiences.
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