Beyond Meat lands deals with McDonald’s, KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, stock surges despite lukewarm earnings

The plant-based protein company reported an adjusted net loss of $21.4 million, or 34 cents a share, compared with a net loss of $452,000, or a penny a share, in the year-ago quarter.

Revenue inched up 3.5% to $101.9 million from $98.5 million a year ago. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had expected a net loss of 14 cents a share on revenue of $103.6 million.

“Food service remains highly challenged,” Beyond Meat Chief Executive Ethan Brown said during a conference call with analysts. “There is something clearly going on in regard to COVID. That does not mean we will not see a good recovery” in retail and food service.

The financial results initially sent shares of Beyond BYND, -5.46% down 15% in extended trading Thursday.

Those shares dramatically rebounded, however, when Beyond later announced a three-year agreement with McDonald’s MCD, -1.09% to be the fast-food chain’s preferred supplier for the patty in the McPlant, a new plant-based burger being tested in select McDonald’s markets globally. Additionally, Beyond Meat and McDonald’s will explore co-developing other plant-based menu items, including plant-based options for chicken, pork and egg as part of McDonald’s broader McPlant platform.

Another deal with Yum YUM, +0.02% to co-create plant-based protein menu items at KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell over the next several years further boosted Beyond shares. By late Thursday, however, Beyond shares were down again.

Beyond is feeling the squeeze competitively from Impossible Foods Inc., which this month announced its third double-digit price-cut in less than a year — 20% off patties (to $5.49) and 12-oz. packages (to $6.99) in thousands of stores that include Kroger Co. KR, -1.04%, Walmart Inc. WMT, -0.95%, Publix Super Markets Inc., Safeway Inc., Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. SFM, -4.47%, Target Corp. TGT, -1.07%, and Trader Joe’s.

Impossible’s aggressive pricing could complicate Beyond Meat’s efforts to turn turn its first annual profit since its IPO in 2019.

Beyond Meat’s shares temporarily surged in late January, following news that it had reached a deal to make snacks and beverages with PepsiCo. Inc.  PEP, -1.58%, but have since cooled. Beyond shares are up 35% over the past 12 months. The broader S&P 500 index SPX, -2.45% has improved 29% in the past year.