As Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation PPC prepares to unveil its first-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings on April 29, after market close, investors are eager to see if the company can beat market expectations.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $4.5 billion, implying 0.8% growth from the prior year. Meanwhile, the consensus mark for earnings has been steady at 69 cents per share in the past seven days, though it indicates a decline of 47.3% from the year-ago period. PPC has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 2.3%, on average.
Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Pilgrim's Pride Corporation price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Quote
Key Factors to Observe for PPC's Q1 Earnings
Pilgrim's Pride has been benefiting from continued operational improvements across its segments, particularly within its Big Bird operations, where the company improved plant and live-operations efficiency. At the same time, the company is evolving its Fresh portfolio to support key customer growth. As part of this strategy, the company is converting a Big Bird commodity plant into a case-ready facility, a transition expected to enhance product offerings and better align operations with customer needs.
Prepared Foods has been a key growth driver, with sales increasing 18% year over year in the fourth quarter of 2025, supported by strong branded performance across both retail and foodservice channels as brand-building initiatives continued to gain traction. In addition, PPC’s focus on innovation, particularly in bold flavor profiles, has resonated with consumers, with products such as its Cheesy Jalapeno Nugget line receiving category recognition at the People’s Food Awards.
Favorable protein pricing dynamics are likely to have aided Pilgrim’s Pride. During the fourth quarter of 2025, chicken continued to offer a clear affordability advantage over competing proteins. While prices for certain chicken cuts softened, competing proteins, particularly ground beef, remained elevated. This widening price gap supported chicken demand as consumers continued to seek affordable protein options, driving volume growth across cuts, including boneless thighs.
That said, the company may have faced profitability pressure from headwinds related to commodity pricing.
What the Zacks Model Says About PPC
Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for PPC 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.
PPC has an Earnings ESP of -16.79% and a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Stocks With Favorable Combination
Here are three companies you may also want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this season:
The Coca-Cola Company KO has an Earnings ESP of +1.00% and currently carries a Zacks Rank of 3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter 2026 earnings per share is pegged at 81 cents, implying 11% year-over-year growth. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues is pegged at $12.3 billion, which indicates an increase of 10.6% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter. KO has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 3.6%, on average.
Celsius Holdings, Inc. CELH has an Earnings ESP of +3.81% and currently carries a Zacks Rank of 3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings per share is pegged at 29 cents, implying a 61.1% year-over-year growth.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues is pegged at $755.2 million, which indicates an increase of 129.4% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter. CELH has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 9.4%, on average.
Constellation Brands, Inc. STZ has an Earnings ESP of +2.44% and currently carries a Zacks Rank of 3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter fiscal 2027 earnings per share is pegged at $3.24, implying 0.6% year-over-year growth.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues is pegged at $2.4 billion, which indicates a decline of 3.5% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter. STZ has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 7.1%, on average.
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CocaCola Company (The) (KO): Free Stock Analysis Report
Constellation Brands Inc (STZ): Free Stock Analysis Report
Pilgrim's Pride Corporation (PPC): Free Stock Analysis Report
Celsius Holdings Inc. (CELH): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).