We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience.
This includes personalizing content and advertising.
By pressing "Accept All" or closing out of this banner, you consent to the use of all cookies and similar technologies and the sharing of information they collect with third parties.
You can reject marketing cookies by pressing "Deny Optional," but we still use essential, performance, and functional cookies.
In addition, whether you "Accept All," Deny Optional," click the X or otherwise continue to use the site, you accept our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, revised from time to time.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
CALM's Gross Margin Surges on Favorable Feed Costs: Is It Sustainable?
Read MoreHide Full Article
Key Takeaways
CALM's Q3 gross margin jumped to 50.5%, up 1,940 bps, on stronger egg pricing and lower feed costs.
Farm production costs per dozen fell 5.7% year over year due to cheaper corn and soybean meal prices.
CALM cut costs further with feed-related acquisitions to streamline production and reduce logistics.
Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (CALM - Free Report) delivered a standout performance in the third quarter of fiscal 2025, with gross profit surging more than threefold year over year to $716 million. This translated to a gross margin of 50.5%, representing a 1,940-basis point expansion driven by higher egg prices and volumes, alongside notably lower feed ingredient costs—primarily corn and soybean meal.
Farm production costs per dozen were 5.7% lower year over year, due to more favorable commodity pricing for key feed ingredients. Feed costs per dozen were down 9.6% year over year, mainly owing to lower prices for soybean meal.
Cal-Maine Foods has been rising sequentially in all three quarters of fiscal 2025, ranging from 31% in the first quarter to the latest 50.5% in the third quarter of fiscal 2025. In addition to higher egg prices due to the impact of avian flu, the upside is also being driven by lower feed costs. Notably, feed costs, which had peaked in the second quarter of fiscal 2023, have shown signs of easing since supporting margin expansion.
Recently, soybean futures climbed above $10.65 per bushel, hitting a three-week high after the Trump administration proposed biofuel blending requirements. Despite the rise, soybean prices are still 8.3% lower than the year-ago level. Meanwhile, corn futures have slipped toward $4.30 per bushel, nearing a six-month low amid oversupply and subdued seasonal demand. Corn prices are down 3.55% year over year. This trend is expected to favor Cal-Maine Foods’ gross margin performance even if egg prices subside from recent highs as avian risks diminish.
Additionally, Cal-Maine Foods has taken strategic steps to further reduce production costs. The company acquired the feed mills (among other assets) of ISE America last year. In February 2025, it acquired storage facilities, usable grain, vehicles, related equipment and the retail feed sales business of Deal-Rite Feeds, Inc. With this move, the company can internally produce and transport feed more efficiently, reducing both costs and logistical complexity.
Impact of Feed Costs on Other Players
Corn and soybean meal are also used as feed in Tyson Foods’ (TSN - Free Report) chicken operations. In fiscal 2024, corn, soybean meal and other feed ingredients were Tyson Foods’ major production costs, representing roughly 56% of its cost of growing a live chicken domestically.
After elevated feed prices in 2023, Tyson Foods saw a notable benefit in fiscal 2024, with feed cost reductions leading to savings of approximately $895 million in the cost of sales of its Chicken segment. So far in fiscal 2025, feed costs lowered the cost of sales by $265 million in the first quarter and $110 million in the second quarter, though these were partially offset by other cost pressures.
Pilgrim's Pride (PPC - Free Report) relies on corn and soybean meal as main ingredients for feed in its U.S. and Mexico operations, while the Europe segment uses wheat, soybean meal and barley as the main ingredients. In 2024, corn, soybean meal and wheat accounted for approximately 42.2%, 38.0% and 5.0% of Pilgrim's Pride’s feed costs, respectively.
Like Tyson, Pilgrim’s Pride has also benefited from lower feed costs across its U.S. and European segments, both in fiscal 2024 and the first quarter of 2025.
CALM’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Cal-Maine Foods has lost 2.2% so far this year against the industry's 4.4% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
CALM is currently trading at a forward 12-month price/earnings (P/E) ratio of 17.62X compared with the industry’s 11.45X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Cal-Maine Foods’ fiscal 2025 earnings is $22.73 per share, indicating a year-over-year increase of 299.5%. The estimate for fiscal 2026 of $5.71 indicates a 74.9% decline. The chart below depicts the revision activity for CALM’s earnings estimates for 2025 and 2026.
Image: Bigstock
CALM's Gross Margin Surges on Favorable Feed Costs: Is It Sustainable?
Key Takeaways
Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (CALM - Free Report) delivered a standout performance in the third quarter of fiscal 2025, with gross profit surging more than threefold year over year to $716 million. This translated to a gross margin of 50.5%, representing a 1,940-basis point expansion driven by higher egg prices and volumes, alongside notably lower feed ingredient costs—primarily corn and soybean meal.
Farm production costs per dozen were 5.7% lower year over year, due to more favorable commodity pricing for key feed ingredients. Feed costs per dozen were down 9.6% year over year, mainly owing to lower prices for soybean meal.
Cal-Maine Foods has been rising sequentially in all three quarters of fiscal 2025, ranging from 31% in the first quarter to the latest 50.5% in the third quarter of fiscal 2025. In addition to higher egg prices due to the impact of avian flu, the upside is also being driven by lower feed costs. Notably, feed costs, which had peaked in the second quarter of fiscal 2023, have shown signs of easing since supporting margin expansion.
Recently, soybean futures climbed above $10.65 per bushel, hitting a three-week high after the Trump administration proposed biofuel blending requirements. Despite the rise, soybean prices are still 8.3% lower than the year-ago level. Meanwhile, corn futures have slipped toward $4.30 per bushel, nearing a six-month low amid oversupply and subdued seasonal demand. Corn prices are down 3.55% year over year. This trend is expected to favor Cal-Maine Foods’ gross margin performance even if egg prices subside from recent highs as avian risks diminish.
Additionally, Cal-Maine Foods has taken strategic steps to further reduce production costs. The company acquired the feed mills (among other assets) of ISE America last year. In February 2025, it acquired storage facilities, usable grain, vehicles, related equipment and the retail feed sales business of Deal-Rite Feeds, Inc. With this move, the company can internally produce and transport feed more efficiently, reducing both costs and logistical complexity.
Impact of Feed Costs on Other Players
Corn and soybean meal are also used as feed in Tyson Foods’ (TSN - Free Report) chicken operations. In fiscal 2024, corn, soybean meal and other feed ingredients were Tyson Foods’ major production costs, representing roughly 56% of its cost of growing a live chicken domestically.
After elevated feed prices in 2023, Tyson Foods saw a notable benefit in fiscal 2024, with feed cost reductions leading to savings of approximately $895 million in the cost of sales of its Chicken segment. So far in fiscal 2025, feed costs lowered the cost of sales by $265 million in the first quarter and $110 million in the second quarter, though these were partially offset by other cost pressures.
Pilgrim's Pride (PPC - Free Report) relies on corn and soybean meal as main ingredients for feed in its U.S. and Mexico operations, while the Europe segment uses wheat, soybean meal and barley as the main ingredients. In 2024, corn, soybean meal and wheat accounted for approximately 42.2%, 38.0% and 5.0% of Pilgrim's Pride’s feed costs, respectively.
Like Tyson, Pilgrim’s Pride has also benefited from lower feed costs across its U.S. and European segments, both in fiscal 2024 and the first quarter of 2025.
CALM’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Cal-Maine Foods has lost 2.2% so far this year against the industry's 4.4% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
CALM is currently trading at a forward 12-month price/earnings (P/E) ratio of 17.62X compared with the industry’s 11.45X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Cal-Maine Foods’ fiscal 2025 earnings is $22.73 per share, indicating a year-over-year increase of 299.5%. The estimate for fiscal 2026 of $5.71 indicates a 74.9% decline. The chart below depicts the revision activity for CALM’s earnings estimates for 2025 and 2026.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
CALM currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.