Pilgrim's Pride Gears Up for Q4 Earnings: Here's What You Should Know

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation PPC is likely to register bottom-line growth when it reports fourth-quarter 2024 earnings on Feb. 13. The consensus mark for fourth-quarter earnings has been stable in the past 30 days at $1.13 per share, indicating a considerable increase of 91.5% reported in the year-ago quarter. PPC has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 30.9%, on average.Stay up-to-date with all quarterly releases: See Zacks Earnings Calendar.Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Pilgrim's Pride Corporation price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Pilgrim's Pride Corporation QuoteThings to Consider Ahead of PPC’s Upcoming ResultsPilgrim’s Pride has been benefiting from substantial investments in expansion and operational efficiencies. The company has been allocating significant capital toward various projects and remains committed to undertaking more initiatives.These efforts focus on optimizing the product mix, enhancing partnerships with key customers to meet specific product needs, boosting operational efficiencies and supporting sustainability efforts to strengthen its competitive advantage. The company emphasizes a disciplined approach to capital allocation and cash management, moving forward with prudent plans. These initiatives and capital investments are expected to have aided bottom-line results in the upcoming quarter.Pilgrim's Pride continues to see strong foodservice growth, with higher volumes and revenues across commercial and non-commercial subchannels. Key poultry products, including breast meat, tenders and wings, showed positive volume growth. Despite fewer away-from-home dining occasions, chicken remains a popular choice. These gains will benefit the company in the to-be-reported quarter.Pilgrim's Pride's innovative approach has been a key driver of growth. The company launched numerous new products, many of which have received industry recognition for their quality and innovation. Its new product pipeline has generated considerable interest in the marketplace. This focus on developing differentiated, consumer-centric offerings will enhance the company’s product portfolio and strengthen its market position in both retail and foodservice segments.Earnings Whispers for PPCOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Pilgrim's Pride this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here.Pilgrim's Pride currently has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and sports a Zacks Rank #1. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.PPC’s Price Performance & ValuationPPC shares have exhibited an uptrend, increasing as much as 82.1% in the past year. The stock has outperformed the broader industry’s growth of 0.4%. However, the stock has underperformed the Consumer Staples sector’s decline of 3.6% and the S&P 500 index’s growth of 20.9% in the same period.PPC Stock's Past One Year PerformanceImage Source: Zacks Investment ResearchFrom the valuation standpoint, PPC offers an attractive opportunity, trading at a discount relative to historical and industry benchmarks. With a forward 12-month price-to-earnings of 10.05X, which is below the five-year high of 13.02X and the industry’s average of 14.02X, the stock offers compelling value for investors seeking exposure to the sector.Stocks With the Favorable CombinationHere are some companies that, according to our model, have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this reporting cycle.Hormel Foods Corporation HRL currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.66% and a Zacks Rank of 3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its quarterly revenues is pegged at $2.9 billion, indicating a 2% decline from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.The consensus estimate for HRL’s first-quarter 2025 earnings is pegged at 38 cents per share, implying a 7.3% decrease from the year-earlier quarter. The consensus mark has been stable in the past seven days.US Foods Holding Corp. USFD currently has an Earnings ESP of +2.68% and a Zacks Rank of 2. The company is likely to register growth in its top and bottom lines when it reports fourth-quarter 2024 numbers. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for US Foods Holding’s quarterly revenues is pegged at $9.47 billion, which suggests 6% growth from the prior-year quarter.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for US Foods Holding’s quarterly earnings per share is pegged at 80 cents, indicating a 25% increase from the year-ago period. USFD delivered a negative earnings surprise of 0.35% in the last reported quarter.General Mills GIS currently has an Earnings ESP of +7.77% and a Zacks Rank #3. GIS is anticipated to register a decline in its top and bottom lines when it reports third-quarter fiscal 2025 results. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for General Mills’ quarterly revenues is pegged at $5.1 billion, indicating a decline of 0.8% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for General Mills’ bottom line has been stable in the past seven days at $1.03 per share. The consensus estimate for GIS suggests a decline of 12% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure. GIS has delivered an earnings beat of 7.8%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.Just Released: Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2025Hurry – you can still get in early on our 10 top tickers for 2025. Handpicked by Zacks Director of Research Sheraz Mian, this portfolio has been stunningly and consistently successful. From inception in 2012 through November, 2024, the Zacks Top 10 Stocks gained +2,112.6%, more than QUADRUPLING the S&P 500’s +475.6%. Sheraz has combed through 4,400 companies covered by the Zacks Rank and handpicked the best 10 to buy and hold in 2025. You can still be among the first to see these just-released stocks with enormous potential. See New Top 10 Stocks >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report General Mills, Inc. (GIS): Free Stock Analysis Report Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL): Free Stock Analysis Report Pilgrim's Pride Corporation (PPC): Free Stock Analysis Report US Foods Holding Corp. (USFD): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks