Pilgrim's Pride earnings amid chicken price pressure

Pilgrim's Pride reported $4.5 bn in net sales for Q1 2025, with mixed margins linked to plant downtime, winter storms and commodity price shifts across its U.S., European and Mexican operations. The company met its Scope 1 & 2 emissions‑intensity targets and highlighted progress on a new value‑added facility in Georgia. Institutional investor Journey Advisory Group increased its stake, bringing total institutional ownership to about 16.6 %.

In Q2 2026, net sales rose modestly to $4.6 bn, but GAAP earnings per share of $0.06 fell short of the $0.70 consensus, while adjusted EPS was $0.64. Adjusted EBITDA reached $360 million, with regional margins of 8.7 % in the U.S., 7.6 % in Europe and 3.9 % in Mexico. Strong retail and food‑service demand drove U.S. fresh‑volume sales, and the Just Bare brand grew over 30 % year‑over‑year. The stock ticked up to $29.95, and analysts adjusted price targets.

Later in July 2026, USDA data showed U.S. broiler egg incubation up 2 % YoY and 195 million chicks housed, a 1 % increase, as the industry seeks to alleviate chicken‑price pressure. Pilgrim's Pride posted a second‑quarter net profit of $13.2 million, down 96 % from the prior year’s $356 million, with net revenue slipping 2.8 % to $4.626 billion and adjusted EBITDA down 47.6 % to $360 million. The company cited persistent low chicken prices from oversupply, while noting improved margins versus the prior quarter and a $75 million investment announced in June to expand capacity at its Georgia plant. CEO Fabio Sandri said demand remained steady but pricing remained challenging.