Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (LW)

Comment l'entreprise gagne de l'argent

Revenue comes from selling frozen potato products by the pound to restaurant chains, foodservice distributors and retailers, priced to cover the cost of raw potatoes, processing and freight, plus a margin. The single largest customer relationship is McDonald's, at roughly 15% of net sales, and the top ten customers together account for about half of revenue, so results move closely with how those large accounts are ordering. About a third of sales are outside North America.

Chiffre d'affaires par segment

Demand tracks restaurant traffic and away-from-home eating more than the broader economy — soft restaurant traffic in Europe and an oversupply of potatoes weighed on results in fiscal 2026 even without a recession. Potato crop yields, which swing with weather each season, add a further layer of volatility on the supply side that is unrelated to economic cycles.

Principaux risques

• Input cost and tariff volatility — A large share of costs comes from commodities such as raw potatoes, edible oil and energy, and the company says new and retaliatory tariffs announced through 2025 and 2026 have added further volatility it may not be able to pass through in prices.
• Customer concentration and bargaining power — Large, sophisticated customers such as major restaurant chains and retailers can resist price increases and demand promotional support, and the loss of a significant customer like McDonald's would materially hurt results.
• Potato crop and weather risk — Extreme heat, excess rain or pests can cut potato yields and quality, while unusually favorable growing conditions can create an oversupply — as happened in fiscal 2026 in Europe — forcing the company to write off excess raw potatoes.
• Dependence on third parties in the supply chain — The company relies on co-packers, warehousing partners and transportation providers it does not control, and disruption at any of them — from labor issues to shipping bottlenecks — can cause manufacturing delays and lost revenue.

Les principaux clients représentent 50% du chiffre d'affaires

The ten largest customers accounted for about 50% of net sales in fiscal 2026, and McDonald's alone represented approximately 15% — the only customer above the 10% disclosure threshold.