Investing.com -- Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ: KHC) reported first-quarter results that exceeded analyst expectations, sending shares higher in pre-market trading.

Adjusted earnings per share of $0.58 beat the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.08. Revenue reached $6.05 billion, surpassing the $5.88 billion analyst estimate and representing a 0.8% increase from $6.0 billion in the year-ago period.

The company's organic net sales declined 0.4% YoY, driven by a 1.2 percentage point decrease in volume/mix that offset a 0.8 percentage point increase in price. The volume decline was primarily attributed to weakness in coffee, cold cuts, and Indonesia operations, though these were partially offset by favorable impacts from the shift in Easter timing.

Adjusted operating income fell 11.8% to $1.1 billion, pressured by increased advertising expenses and inflationary pressures in manufacturing and logistics costs that outpaced efficiency initiatives.

Shares rose 3.6% following the earnings release.

"Our first quarter results demonstrate steady progress, and I am encouraged by the early signs of momentum we're building," said Steve Cahillane, CEO of Kraft Heinz. "The investments we made in 2025 are now driving early traction, with improving market share trends, particularly within must-win parts of our portfolio like Taste Elevation."

For fiscal year 2026, Kraft Heinz reaffirmed its guidance, projecting adjusted EPS in the range of $1.98 to $2.10. The midpoint of $2.04 aligns with the analyst consensus of $2.04. The company expects organic net sales to decline between 1.5% and 3.5% versus the prior year, including an approximate 100 basis point impact from incremental SNAP headwinds.