GREELEY, Colo., Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation (NASDAQ: PPC), one of the world's leading food companies, reports its fourth quarter and year-end 2024 financial results.

2024 Highlights

• Net Sales of $17.9 billion.
• Consolidated GAAP Operating Income margin of 8.4%.
• GAAP Net Income of $1.1 billion and GAAP EPS of $4.57. Adjusted Net Income of $1.3 billion, or Adjusted EPS of $5.42.
• Adjusted EBITDA of $2.2 billion, or a 12.4% margin, with Adjusted EBITDA margins of 14.7% in the U.S., 7.9% in Europe, and 11.8% in Mexico.
• The U.S. Fresh portfolio continued to benefit from strong chicken demand and execution of the company’s strategies. Pilgrim’s continued to progress in operational excellence, while its diversified portfolio across bird sizes and differentiated offerings captured benefits from above average commodity values and generated incremental distribution with key customers.
• U.S. Prepared Foods continued to provide profitable growth as branded offerings grew nearly 25% compared to last year. Just Bare^® and Pilgrim’s^® remain key drivers, with innovative and well-recognized quality capturing market share. Progress in commerce also continues, as digitally influenced sales grew 30% compared to prior year.
• Pilgrim’s Europe business continues its positive momentum, with manufacturing footprint optimization, back-office integration of support activities, and enhanced mix. Richmond^® and Fridge Raiders^® continue to increase volume share in their categories, and innovation efforts in partnership with key customers continue to be recognized by the market with multiple industry awards.
• Mexico margins improved from last year given extended strength in the commodity markets and increased distribution with key customers across retail and foodservice. Diversification through brands remained on track as the portfolio grew over 7%. 
• Pilgrim’s sustainability efforts continue to drive reductions in scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity across all regions compared to 2023. External agencies continued to recognize progress in environmental performance as scores improved compared to last year.
• Strong liquidity position and net leverage ratio of 0.52 Adjusted EBITDA given healthy market conditions, judicious working capital management, and consistent execution of the company’s strategies provided the foundation to drive profitable growth for the business.

Fourth Quarter

• Net Sales of $4.4 billion.
• Consolidated GAAP Operating Income margin of 7.0%.
• GAAP Net Income of $235.9 million and GAAP EPS of $0.99. Adjusted Net Income of $321.7 million and Adjusted EPS of $1.35.
• Adjusted EBITDA of $525.7 million, or a 12.0% margin, with Adjusted EBITDA margins of 14.2% in the U.S., 9.3% in Europe, and 7.4% in Mexico.
• Pilgrim’s U.S. portfolio benefited from relatively strong seasonal commodity cut out values for Big Bird, increased demand from key customers in Case Ready and Small Bird, and continued progress in mix and cost through operational excellence efforts.
• U.S. Prepared Foods accelerated growth through incremental distribution of its portfolio across retail and foodservice. Diversification through brands continues to progress as net sales of Just Bare^® and Pilgrim’s^® grew 35% and 16%, respectively, compared to prior year.
• Europe increased margins through continued operational excellence in manufacturing, and growth in foodservice and branded offerings. Fridge Raiders^® and Rollover^® both grew faster than category averages.
• Mexico realized strong performance as commodity values strengthened throughout the quarter, fresh branded products grew nearly 10%, and key customer demand experienced positive growth. The Merida complex ramped up production during the quarter, and the company continues to invest in additional capacity in the region.
• Pilgrim’s continues to cultivate its sustainability infrastructure as the company partnered with GreenGasUSA to complete a project to leverage methane capture capabilities at its Sumter, S.C., complex and generate renewable natural gas.
  
  

“While we experienced a positive market environment with lower input costs and strong chicken demand in 2024, we elevated our performance across all regions through a continued focus on controlling what we can control,” said Fabio Sandri, Pilgrim’s President and CEO. “As such, we improved efficiencies through operational excellence, expanded relationships with key customers, and drove growth in our value-added portfolio.”

In the fourth quarter, the U.S. continued to execute its strategies, and demand for chicken remained robust across both retail and foodservice. Big Bird benefited from production improvements and relatively strong seasonal market pricing, whereas Case Ready and Small Bird grew from increased consumer demand in retail, QSR and deli. Prepared Foods continued to cultivate sales momentum through additional distribution of its value-added portfolio.

“Our performance is a reflection of our diversified portfolio, our ability to work with key customers to unlock consumer value through differentiated offerings, and our continued emphasis on quality and service,” Sandri said.

Europe improved by over 100 basis points compared to same period last year through continued improvements in product mix and manufacturing productivity. These efforts were amplified by further diversification through brands and increased consumer acceptance of recently launched innovation.

“Europe continued to make strong progress in its profitability journey. Equally important, the team continues to cultivate the foundation for profitable growth through innovation. In partnership with our key customers, we launched new and innovative products that are growing ahead of the categories and helping our key customers to differentiate in the marketplace,” said Sandri.

In Mexico, commodity markets experienced counter seasonal movements and continually strengthened throughout the quarter. Key customers in fresh continued to play a critical role as sales grew nearly 10% compared to the prior year. Diversification through value added gain momentum through incremental distribution across retail, club and foodservice.

“Given Mexico’s performance and market potential, we are continuing to invest in capacity expansion and operational excellence to further cultivate profitable growth with key customers. Based on these efforts, we can simultaneously reduce our operational risk, further diversify our portfolio, and unlock value with our key customers,” said Sandri.

Progress in sustainability continues as all regions reduced their energy intensity compared to the prior year. External agencies once again recognized progress in environmental practices as scores improved versus 2023. Innovation continues to be a key driver as Pilgrim’s partnership with GreenGasUSA to transform methane into renewable natural gas recently initiated production.

“We continue to integrate sustainability throughout all aspects of our business. As part of these efforts, we will explore novel solutions with leading industry partners to champion emissions reduction throughout our business,” remarked Sandri.

Conference Call Information

A conference call to discuss Pilgrim’s quarterly results will be held tomorrow, Feb. 13, at 7 a.m. MT (9 a.m. ET). Participants are encouraged to pre-register for the conference call using the link below. Callers who pre-register will be given a unique PIN to gain immediate access to the call and bypass the live operator. Participants may pre-register at any time, including up to and after the call start time.

To pre-register, go to: https://dpregister.com/sreg/10196108/fe534cf744

You may also reach the pre-registration link by logging in through the investor section of our website at
https://ir.pilgrims.com in the “Events & Presentations” section.

For those who would like to join the call but have not pre-registered, access is available by dialing +1 (844) 883-3889 within the US, or +1 (412) 317-9245 internationally, and requesting the “Pilgrim’s Pride Conference.”

Replays of the conference call will be available on Pilgrim’s website approximately two hours after the call concludes and can be accessed through the “Investor” section of www.pilgrims.com.

About Pilgrim’s Pride

Pilgrim’s employs over 61,000 people and operates protein processing plants and prepared-foods facilities in 14 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the U.K, the Republic of Ireland and continental Europe. The Company’s primary distribution is through retailers and foodservice distributors. For more information, please visit www.pilgrims.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained in this press release that state the intentions, plans, hopes, beliefs, anticipations, expectations or predictions of the future of Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation and its management are considered forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “projects,” “should,” “targets,” “will” and the negative thereof and similar words and expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. It is important to note that actual results could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements include: matters affecting the poultry industry generally; the ability to execute the Company’s business plan to achieve desired cost savings and profitability; future pricing for feed ingredients and the Company’s products; outbreaks of avian influenza or other diseases, either in Pilgrim’s Pride’s flocks or elsewhere, affecting its ability to conduct its operations and/or demand for its poultry products; contamination of Pilgrim’s Pride’s products, which has previously and can in the future lead to product liability claims and product recalls; exposure to risks related to product liability, product recalls, property damage and injuries to persons, for which insurance coverage is expensive, limited and potentially inadequate; management of cash resources; restrictions imposed by, and as a result of, Pilgrim’s Pride’s leverage; changes in laws or regulations affecting Pilgrim’s Pride’s operations or the application thereof; new immigration legislation or increased enforcement efforts in connection with existing immigration legislation that cause the costs of doing business to increase, cause Pilgrim’s Pride to change the way in which it does business, or otherwise disrupt its operations; competitive factors and pricing pressures or the loss of one or more of Pilgrim’s Pride’s largest customers; currency exchange rate fluctuations, trade barriers, exchange controls, expropriation and other risks associated with foreign operations; disruptions in international markets and distribution channels, including, but not limited to, the impacts of the Russia-Ukraine conflict; the risk of cyber-attacks, natural disasters, power losses, unauthorized access, telecommunication failures, and other problems on our information systems; and the impact of uncertainties of litigation and other legal matters described in our most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, including the In re Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation, as well as other risks described under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this release speak only as of the date of this release, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law.

“EBITDA” is defined as the sum of net income (loss) plus interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. “Adjusted EBITDA” is calculated by adding to EBITDA certain items of expense and deducting from EBITDA certain items of income that we believe are not indicative of our ongoing operating performance consisting of: (1) foreign currency transaction losses (gains), (2) costs related to litigation settlements, (3) restructuring activities losses, (4) loss on settlement of pension from plan termination, (5) inventory write-down as a result of hurricane, and (6) net income attributable to noncontrolling interest. EBITDA is presented because it is used by management and we believe it is frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties, in addition to and not in lieu of results prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“U.S. GAAP”), to compare the performance of companies. We believe investors would be interested in our Adjusted EBITDA because this is how our management analyzes EBITDA applicable to continuing operations. The Company also believes that Adjusted EBITDA, in combination with the Company’s financial results calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP, provides investors with additional perspective regarding the impact of certain significant items on EBITDA and facilitates a more direct comparison of its performance with its competitors. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not measurements of financial performance under U.S. GAAP. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for an analysis of our results as reported under U.S. GAAP. In addition, other companies in our industry may calculate these measures differently limiting their usefulness as a comparative measure. Because of these limitations, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to net income as indicators of our operating performance or any other measures of performance derived in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These limitations should be compensated for by relying primarily on our U.S. GAAP results and using EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA only on a supplemental basis.

The summary unaudited consolidated income statement data for the 12 months ended December 29, 2024 (the LTM Period) have been calculated by summing each of the unaudited three month periods within the audited year ended December 29, 2024.

EBITDA margins have been calculated by taking the relevant unaudited EBITDA figures, then dividing by net sales for the applicable period. EBITDA margins are presented because they are used by management and we believe they are frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties, as a supplement to our results prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, to compare the performance of companies.

Adjusted EBITDA by segment figures are presented because they are used by management and we believe they are frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties, as a supplement to our results prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, to compare the performance of companies.

Adjusted Operating Income is calculated by adding to Operating Income certain items of expense and deducting from Operating Income certain items of income. Management believes that presentation of Adjusted Operating Income provides useful supplemental information about our operating performance and enables comparison of our performance between periods because certain costs shown below are not indicative of our current operating performance. A reconciliation of GAAP operating income to adjusted operating income as follows:

Adjusted Operating Income Margin for each of our reportable segments is calculated by dividing Adjusted operating income by Net Sales. Management believes that presentation of Adjusted Operating Income Margin provides useful supplemental information about our operating performance and enables comparison of our performance between periods because certain costs shown below are not indicative of our current operating performance. A reconciliation of GAAP operating income margin for each of our reportable segments to adjusted operating income margin for each of our reportable segments is as follows:

Adjusted net income attributable to Pilgrim's Pride Corporation ("Pilgrim's") is calculated by adding to net income attributable to Pilgrim's certain items of expense and deducting from net income attributable to Pilgrim's certain items of income, as shown below in the table. Adjusted net income attributable to Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation per common diluted share is presented because it is used by management, and we believe it is frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties, in addition to and not in lieu of results prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP, to compare the performance of companies. Management also believe that this non-U.S. GAAP financial measure, in combination with our financial results calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP, provides investors with additional perspective regarding the impact of such charges on net income attributable to Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation per common diluted share. Adjusted net income attributable to Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation per common diluted share is not a measurement of financial performance under U.S. GAAP, has limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for an analysis of our results as reported under U.S. GAAP. Management believes that presentation of adjusted net income attributable to Pilgrim’s provides useful supplemental information about our operating performance and enables comparison of our performance between periods because certain costs shown below are not indicative of our current operating performance. A reconciliation of net income attributable to Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation per common diluted share to adjusted net income attributable to Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation per common diluted share is as follows:

Adjusted EPS is calculated by dividing the adjusted net income attributable to Pilgrim's stockholders by the weighted average number of diluted shares. Management believes that Adjusted EPS provides useful supplemental information about our operating performance and enables comparison of our performance between periods because certain costs shown below are not indicative of our current operating performance. A reconciliation of U.S. GAAP to non-U.S. GAAP financial measures is as follows:

(a)        Net tax impact of adjustments represents the tax impact of all adjustments shown above.