Nathan's Famous
Wholesales and licenses the Coney Island hot dog brand across foodservice and retail.
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Profile
Wholesales hot dogs and sausages to foodservice operators under the Nathan's Famous name and licenses that name to outside manufacturers — led by Smithfield Foods, its exclusive retail and foodservice licensee — for royalty income, alongside a small restaurant chain anchored by the original Coney Island stand.
Operates three segments: a wholesale Branded Product Program supplying hot dogs to foodservice operators nationwide, a licensing program letting outside manufacturers sell Nathan's Famous-branded retail products for royalties, and a small restaurant footprint plus a larger franchise network.
Smithfield Foods holds the exclusive license to manufacture and distribute the retail hot dog line, making it both the largest licensing partner and, through the wholesale channel, a major customer — concentrating royalty and wholesale income in one partner.
The Coney Island stand where Nathan and Ida Handwerker opened a nickel hot dog counter in 1916 still operates, anchoring an outsized cultural footprint for 129 employees; the Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest and Major League Baseball's official hot dog status reinforce that recognition.
Smithfield has also agreed to acquire the company outright, ending Nathan's run as an independent public company.
Company facts
Categories
Key statistics
Year to date +7.5% · Average volume (30d) 24.1K
Analysts
No analyst consensus on record.
Earnings
EPS
Revenue
History
| Report date | EPS est | EPS | Surprise | Revenue est | Revenue | Surprise | Next session |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 2026Q1 FY26 | — | $2.14 | — | — | $54.1M | — | −0.30% |
| Aug 6, 2026Q1 FY26 | — | $2.14 | — | — | $54.1M | — | −0.71% |
| Jun 9, 2026Q4 FY25 | — | $0.68 | — | — | $35.1M | — | −0.07% |
| Feb 5, 2026Q3 FY25 | — | $0.75 | — | — | $34.3M | — | 0.00% |
Financial highlights
| 12 quarters | Q4 FY24 | Q1 FY25 | Q2 FY25 | Q3 FY25 | Q4 FY25 | Q1 FY26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $30.8M | $47.0M | $45.7M | $34.3M | $35.1M | $54.1M | |
| Gross profit | $8.9M | $17.4M | $11.2M | $9.5M | $9.4M | $18.9M | |
| Operating income | $6.4M | $12.8M | $7.5M | $5.1M | $4.7M | $12.7M | |
| Net income | $4.2M | $8.9M | $5.2M | $3.1M | $2.8M | $8.8M | |
| Diluted EPS | $1.04 | $2.16 | $1.26 | $0.75 | $0.68 | $2.14 | |
| Gross margin | 29.0% | 37.0% | 24.5% | 27.8% | 26.8% | 34.9% | |
| Operating margin | 20.7% | 27.2% | 16.4% | 14.9% | 13.4% | 23.4% |
Fiscal years (4-quarter sums)FY21 $114.9M · FY22 $130.8M · FY23 $138.6M · FY24 $148.2M · FY25 $162.1M
Revenue by product · Q1 FY26
Revenue by geography · Q1 FY26
Balance sheet, Jun 28, 2026Cash & short-term investments $24.7M · Total debt $51.0M · Total assets $64.8M · Shareholders' equity −$7.2M
Dividends
Raised for 6 straight years — most recently to $0.50 from $0.45 in Feb 2023. To collect a payout, hold shares through the close before the ex-date.
History
| Ex-date | Record | Paid | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 22, 2026 | Jun 22 | Jun 30 | $0.50 | |
| Feb 17, 2026 | Feb 17 | Feb 27 | $0.50 | |
| Nov 24, 2025 | Nov 24 | Dec 5 | $3.00 | special dividend |
| Aug 25, 2025 | Aug 25 | Sep 5 | $0.50 | |
| Jun 23, 2025 | Jun 23 | Jul 1 | $0.50 | |
| Feb 18, 2025 | Feb 18 | Feb 28 | $0.50 | |
| Nov 25, 2024 | Nov 25 | Dec 6 | $0.50 | |
| Aug 26, 2024 | Aug 26 | Sep 6 | $0.50 |
Ownership
Shares outstanding 4.10M · Float 2.86M · 69.8% free float
Top shareholders13F · 13D/G · Form 4
| Holder | Shares | % outstanding | Form | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard M. Lorber | 989.8K | 24.20% | 13D | Jan 21, 2026 |
| GAMCO Asset Management Inc. | 282.8K | 6.90% | 13D | Feb 14, 2025 |
| Gamco Investors, Inc. et al | 273.2K | 6.67% | 13F | Aug 12, 2026 |
| BlackRock, Inc. | 253.2K | 6.18% | 13F | Aug 7, 2026 |
| Gabelli Funds LLC | 180.0K | 4.39% | 13F | Aug 12, 2026 |
Insider tradesForm 4
No open-market trades in the last 12 months.
View detailsPeers
- Kraft Heinz
Oscar Mayer is the #1 branded hot dog by category share, retail and foodservice.
- Tyson Foods
Ball Park Franks is the #2 branded hot dog, with its own stadium heritage.
- Conagra Brands
Hebrew National contests the same premium, kosher-style all-beef hot dog niche.
- Hormel Foods
Applegate's natural, organic hot dog line pulls health-conscious shoppers away.
- Smithfield Foods
Farmer John and Eckrich compete while Smithfield licenses and acquires Nathan's.
- Restaurant Brands International
Burger King draws quick-service dollars from the restaurant segment only.
CompareAfter-hours close
| Company | Price | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nathan's Famous | $98.47 | −0.38% | $403.5M | 20.4 | — | 2.4 | +15.0% |
| Kraft Heinz | $25.72 | +0.13% | $30.47B | — | 12.9 | 1.2 | −1.4% |
| Tyson Foods | $55.46 | +0.09% | $19.64B | 34.0 | 12.6 | 0.4 | −0.1% |
| Conagra Brands | $16.05 | −0.22% | $7.70B | — | 10.7 | 0.7 | +3.6% |
| Hormel Foods | $21.55 | −0.07% | $11.86B | 34.2 | 13.8 | 1.0 | −2.4% |
| Smithfield Foods | $21.95 | +0.05% | $8.63B | 8.2 | 9.1 | 0.6 | −2.3% |
| Restaurant Brands International | $78.50 | +0.29% | $27.15B | 23.1 | 18.5 | 2.8 | +4.6% |
| Median | 28.5 | 12.7 | 0.8 | −0.8% |