News Details

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ: JACK) announced financial results for the second quarter ended April 12, 2026.

“Second quarter results did not meet expectations, however trends have improved into the third quarter. Jack in the Box is an iconic brand, and I'm eager to dive in with our passionate team and franchisees to further improve operating results. After being on the Board and now as interim CEO, my excitement for the potential of this brand has only grown,” said Mark King, Jack in the Box Interim Chief Executive Officer. “We plan to accelerate our 'JACK on Track' commitments as we strengthen our foundation to support sustainable, long-term growth.”

Jack in the Box Performance

Same-store sales decreased 3.8% in the second quarter, comprised of franchise same-store sales decline of 3.9% and company-owned same-store sales decline of 2.8%. Sales performance resulted primarily from a decline in transactions, partially offset by an increase in price. Systemwide sales for the second quarter decreased 3.8%.

Restaurant-Level Margin⁽¹⁾, a non-GAAP measure, was $15.5 million, or 16.4%, down from $18.7 million, or 19.6%, a year ago driven primarily by commodity cost inflation, and a change in the mix of restaurants, partially offset by increased price.

Franchise-Level Margin⁽¹⁾, a non-GAAP measure, was $60.5 million, or 37.9%, a decrease from $68.3 million, or 40.0%, a year ago. The decrease was primarily due to lower sales driving lower rent revenue and royalties and a decrease in the number of restaurants as part of the 'JACK on Track' closure program, as well as lower lease termination fees.

Jack in the Box restaurant count remained flat in the second quarter, with 9 restaurant openings and 9 restaurant closures.

Total revenues decreased 4.3% to $254.3 million, compared to $265.7 million in the prior year quarter. The lower revenue is primarily the result of same-store sales declines, as well as a lower number of restaurants.

The SG&A expense for the second quarter was $26.4 million, a decrease of $1.8 million compared to the prior year quarter. The decrease was due primarily to the fluctuation of $1.6 million in the cash surrender value of our COLI policies, as well as lower legal costs due to a litigation reversal, partially offset by higher stock compensation due to prior year forfeitures. When excluding net COLI gains, G&A was 2.3% of systemwide sales.

Net earnings from continuing operations was $12.5 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2026. This is compared with net earnings from continuing operations of $20.7 million for the second quarter of the prior year.

Adjusted EBITDA⁽³⁾, a non-GAAP measure, was $51.3 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2026 compared with $61.5 million for the prior year quarter.

The income tax provision for continuing operations reflects an effective tax rate of 27.7% in the second quarter of 2026 as compared to 27.6% in the prior year. The current year effective tax rate differed from the U.S. statutory tax rate primarily due to a reduction of the valuation allowance on cumulative interest deduction limitations and the nondeductible component of share-based compensation. The non-GAAP operating EPS tax rate for the second quarter of 2026 was 31.1%, which differed from the effective tax rate as it is without the impacts of the reduction in the valuation allowance on cumulative interest deduction limitations and nondeductible component of share-based compensation.

Second quarter diluted earnings per share from continuing operations was $0.65 in 2026, compared to $1.09 in the prior year quarter. Operating Earnings Per Share⁽²⁾, a non-GAAP measure, was $0.76 in the second quarter of fiscal 2026 compared with $1.25 in the prior year quarter.

Del Taco Discontinued Operations

On October 15, 2025, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to sell Del Taco Holdings Inc. (“Del Taco”), which owns and operates the Company’s Del Taco restaurant operations, to Yadav Enterprises, Inc., a California corporation (“Buyer”) and Anil Yadav (“Buyer Guarantor”), which was completed on December 22, 2025. As a result of the sale, operating results for Del Taco are included in discontinued operations for all periods presented. There were losses from discontinued operations, net of taxes of $2.3 million for the second quarter of 2026, compared with losses from discontinued operations, net of taxes of $162.9 million in the prior year quarter.

Capital Allocation

The Company did not repurchase any shares of our common stock in the second quarter. As of the end of the second quarter, there was $175.0 million remaining under the Board-authorized stock buyback program.

Following the second quarter, the Company is in the process of withdrawing excess COLI funding of approximately $71.0 million, which is expected to be used along with cash on hand to prepay approximately $99.0 million the 2019-1 Class A-2-II Notes in the third quarter.

The Company is actively pursuing refinancing its 2019-1 Class A-2-II Notes and 2022-1 Class A-2-I Notes, which have anticipated repayment dates of August 2026 and February 2027, respectively.

Guidance Updates

The Company updated its guidance. The below reflects updated expectations for the fiscal year ending September 27, 2026.

• Low Single Digit Same-Store Sales Decline vs. Fiscal Year 2025
• Company-Owned Restaurant Level Margin of approximately 17%
  • This includes mid-single-digit commodity inflation and low-single-digit wage inflation.
• Franchise Level Margin of $265 to $275 million
  • As the Company continues to execute its “JACK on Track” plan, which includes a block closure program and selling real estate, both of which influence Franchise Level Margin, visibility into timing is limited.
• SG&A of $115 to $125 million
  • G&A, excluding selling and advertising and COLI, is expected to be approximately 2.3% of systemwide sales.
• Adjusted EBITDA of $225 to $235 million

The below guidance remains unchanged for the company's expectations for fiscal year ending September 27, 2026.

• Jack in the Box Restaurant Count of 2,050 to 2,100
  • This includes approximately 20 new restaurant openings and approximately 50 to 100 closures, most of which will be franchise restaurants.
  • The Company expects an acceleration of closures into the back half of fiscal 2026 as it continues to execute its “JACK on Track” plan.
• Depreciation and Amortization of $45 to $50 million
• Capital Expenditures of $45 to $55 million, prioritizing sales-driving investments in technology
• As previously mentioned, the company has discontinued its dividend and share repurchase program.

Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call for analysts and investors on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, beginning at 2:00 p.m. PT (5:00 p.m. ET). The call will be webcast live via the Investors section of the Jack in the Box company website at http://investors.jackinthebox.com. A replay of the call will be available through the Jack in the Box Inc. corporate website for 21 days. The call can be accessed via phone by dialing (888) 596-4144 and using ID 7573961.

About Jack in the Box Inc.

Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ: JACK), founded and headquartered in San Diego, California, is a restaurant company that operates and franchises Jack in the Box^®, one of the nation's largest hamburger chains with 2,128 restaurants across 24 states. For more information, including franchising opportunities, visit www.jackinthebox.com.

Category: Earnings

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “goals,” “guidance,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “may,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions. These statements are based on management’s current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about our business and the industry in which we operate. These estimates and assumptions involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that are in some cases beyond our control. Factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: the success of new products, marketing initiatives and restaurant remodels and drive-thru enhancements; the impact of competition, unemployment, trends in consumer spending patterns and commodity costs; the Company’s ability to achieve and manage its planned growth, which is affected by the availability of a sufficient number of suitable new restaurant sites, the performance of new restaurants, risks relating to expansion into new markets and successful franchise development; the ability to attract, train and retain top-performing personnel, litigation risks; risks associated with disagreements with franchisees; supply chain disruption; food-safety incidents or negative publicity impacting the reputation of the Company's brand; increased regulatory and legal complexities, risks associated with the amount and terms of the securitized debt issued by certain of our wholly owned subsidiaries; stock market volatility. These and other factors are discussed in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K and its periodic reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available online at http://investors.jackinthebox.com or in hard copy upon request. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as the result of new information or otherwise.

JACK IN THE BOX INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS (LOSS) DATA
(Unaudited)

The following table presents certain income and expense items included in our condensed consolidated statements of earnings (loss) as a percentage of total revenues, unless otherwise indicated. Percentages may not add due to rounding.

JACK IN THE BOX INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP MEASUREMENTS TO GAAP RESULTS
(Unaudited)

To supplement the condensed consolidated financial statements, which are presented in accordance with GAAP, the Company uses the following non-GAAP measures: Adjusted Net Income, Operating Earnings Per Share, Adjusted EBITDA, Restaurant-Level Margin and Franchise-Level Margin. Management believes that these measurements, when viewed with the Company's results of operations in accordance with GAAP and the accompanying reconciliations in the tables below, provide useful information about operating performance and period-over-period changes, and provide additional information that is useful for evaluating the operating performance of the Company's core business without regard to potential distortions.

Operating Earnings Per Share

Operating Earnings Per Share represents diluted earnings per share from continuing operations on a GAAP basis excluding restructuring, integration and other, net COLI (gains) losses, pension and post-retirement benefit costs, impairment charges, gains on the sale of company-operated restaurants, losses on the sale of real estate to franchisees, excess tax shortfall from share-based compensation arrangements, and other tax-related impacts.

Operating Earnings Per Share should be considered as a supplement to, not as a substitute for, analysis of results as reported under U.S. GAAP or other similarly titled measures of other companies. Management believes Operating Earnings Per Share provides investors with a meaningful supplement of the Company’s operating performance and period-over-period changes without regard to potential distortions.

Below is a reconciliation of Non-GAAP Adjusted Net Income to the most directly comparable GAAP measure of net income. Also below is a reconciliation of Non-GAAP Operating Earnings Per Share to the most directly comparable GAAP measure, diluted earnings per share from continuing operations:

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA represents net earnings from continuing operations on a GAAP basis excluding income taxes, interest expense, net, other operating expenses, net, depreciation and amortization, amortization of cloud computing costs, amortization of favorable and unfavorable leases and subleases, net, amortization of franchise tenant improvement allowances and other, net COLI (gains)/losses, and pension and post-retirement benefit costs.

Adjusted EBITDA should be considered as a supplement to, not as a substitute for, analysis of results as reported under U.S. GAAP or other similarly titled measures of other companies. Management believes Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors to gain an understanding of the factors and trends affecting the Company's ongoing cash earnings, from which capital investments are made and debt is serviced.

Below is a reconciliation of non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA to the most directly comparable GAAP measure, net earnings from continuing operations (in thousands):

Restaurant-Level Margin

Restaurant-Level Margin is defined as company restaurant sales less restaurant operating costs (food and packaging, labor, and occupancy costs) and is neither required by, nor presented in accordance with GAAP. Restaurant-Level Margin excludes revenues and expenses of our franchise operations and selling, general, and administrative expenses. Certain other costs are also excluded, such as depreciation and amortization, pre-opening costs, other operating expenses, net, and gains on the sale of company-operated restaurants. As such, Restaurant-Level Margin is not indicative of the overall results of the Company and does not accrue directly to the benefit of shareholders because of the exclusion of corporate-level expenses. Restaurant-Level Margin should be considered as a supplement to, not as a substitute for, analysis of results as reported under GAAP or other similarly titled measures of other companies. The Company is presenting Restaurant-Level Margin because it believes that it provides a meaningful supplement to net earnings of the company's core business operating results, as well as a comparison to those of other similar companies. Management utilizes Restaurant-Level Margin as a key performance indicator to evaluate the profitability of company-operated restaurants. Below is a reconciliation of non-GAAP Restaurant-Level Margin to the most directly comparable GAAP measure, earnings from continuing operations (in thousands):

Franchise-Level Margin

Franchise-Level Margin is defined as franchise revenues less franchise operating costs (occupancy expenses, advertising contributions, and franchise support and other costs) and is neither required by, nor presented in accordance with GAAP. Franchise-Level Margin excludes revenue and expenses of our company-operated restaurants and selling, general, and administrative expenses. Certain other costs are also excluded, such as depreciation and amortization, pre-opening, other operating expenses, net, and gains on the sale of company-operated restaurants. As such, Franchise-Level Margin is not indicative of the overall results of the Company and does not accrue directly to the benefit of shareholders because of the exclusion of corporate-level expenses. Franchise-Level Margin should be considered as a supplement to, not as a substitute for, analysis of results as reported under GAAP or other similarly titled measures of other companies. The Company is presenting Franchise-Level Margin because it believes that it provides a meaningful supplement to net earnings of the Company's core business operating results, as well as a comparison to those of other similar companies. Management utilizes Franchise-Level Margin as a key performance indicator to evaluate the profitability of our franchise operations. Below is a reconciliation of non-GAAP Franchise-Level Margin to the most directly comparable GAAP measure, earnings from continuing operations (in thousands):