During October, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 515,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 420,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 445,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 384,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 195,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 80,000 head. Marketings of fed cattle during October totaled 1.70 million head, 8% below the same time in 2024 and close to market expectations. Other disappearance totaled 54,000 head during October, 2% below 2024.Cattle futures traders Friday ...

Core Insights - Tyson Foods, Inc. reported solid fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 results, with earnings and sales increasing year over year, and earnings exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate, highlighting the company's resilient multi-protein, multi-channel portfolio and operational excellence [1] Quarterly Performance - Adjusted earnings were $1.15 per share, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 85 cents, marking a 25% increase from the previous year's figure of 87 cents [2] - Total sales reached $13,860 million, a 2.2% year-over-year increase, although it fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $13,908 million; average price changes positively impacted the top line by 6.4%, while total volumes decreased by 1.6% [2] Financial Metrics - Gross profit for the quarter was $726 million, down from $1,060 million in the year-ago period; adjusted operating income surged 19% to $608 million, with an adjusted operating margin expanding by 50 basis points year over year to 4.3% [3] Segment Performance - **Beef**: Sales increased to $5,489 million from $5,261 million, with volumes down 8.4% and average prices up 17% [4] - **Pork**: Sales declined to $1,414 million from $1,438 million, with volumes dipping 4.2% and average prices increasing by 11.6% [4] - **Chicken**: Sales improved to $4,411 million from $4,251 million, with volumes growing 3.7% and average prices up 0.1% [5] - **Prepared Foods**: Sales rose to $2,546 million from $2,472 million, with volumes down 1.7% and average prices up 4.7% [5] - **International/Other**: Sales were $584 million compared to $609 million, with volumes falling 2.2% and average sales prices declining by 1.9% [6] Financial Position - The company ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $1,229 million, long-term debt of $7,921 million, and total shareholders' equity of $18,227 million; cash provided by operating activities for the 12 months ended September 27, 2025, was $2,155 million [7] - Liquidity stood at $3.7 billion as of September 27, 2025, with expectations to remain above the minimum target of $1 billion in fiscal 2026 [7] Future Projections - Capital expenditures are projected between $700 million and $1 billion for fiscal 2026, focusing on profit-improvement and maintenance projects; adjusted free cash flow for fiscal 2025 was $1,177 million, with expectations for fiscal 2026 in the range of $0.8-$1.3 billion [8] - For fiscal 2026, total revenue growth is anticipated to be between 2-4% compared to fiscal 2025, with adjusted operating income projected in the range of $2.1-$2.3 billion [12]

The meat supplier faces falling beef and pork volumes, but chicken sales are bucking the trend. ...

Financial Performance - The company achieved its sixth consecutive quarter of year-over-year (YoY) growth in Sales, Adjusted Operating Income (AOI), and adjusted Earnings Per Share (EPS)[5] - Q4 2025 sales reached $13860 million, a 48% increase compared to the previous year, excluding the impact of legal contingency accruals[28, 29] - Adjusted Operating Income (AOI) for Q4 2025 was $608 million, a 19% increase YoY[28] - Adjusted EPS for Q4 2025 was $115, a 25% increase YoY[28] - The company's free cash flow for fiscal year 2025 was $1177 million[31] Segment Performance - Chicken segment achieved record profitability[5] - Chicken segment sales for Q4 2025 were $4411 million, a 38% increase YoY, with AOI at $457 million, a $101 million increase YoY[15] - Beef segment sales for Q4 2025 were $5489 million, a 43% increase YoY, but with an AOI loss of $94 million[18] - Pork segment sales for Q4 2025 were $1414 million, a 17% decrease YoY, but with AOI at $31 million, a $12 million increase YoY[21] - Prepared Foods segment sales for Q4 2025 were $2546 million, a 30% increase YoY, with AOI at $189 million[11] Financial Position - The company's net leverage ratio improved YoY, reaching 21x in Q4 2025[5, 33] FY26 Guidance - The company projects sales growth of 2%-4% for fiscal year 2026[37] - Total AOI is projected to be between $21 billion and $23 billion[37]

Tyson Foods is forecasting another financial year of rising sales after reporting top-line growth for the 12 months just ended. The US meat titan expects its net sales to rise 2-4% in its new financial year, which started on 28 September. In the year just completed, the Hillshire Farm owner generated sales of $54.44bn, up 2.1% on the year before. Sales rose 3.3% excluding the impact of a $653m increase in “legal contingency accruals”, which Tyson recognised as a reduction to sales. Operating income fel ...

Core Viewpoint - Tyson Foods anticipates increased sales for the current fiscal year, driven by higher domestic production of pork and chicken, which is expected to compensate for a decrease in beef production [1] Group 1: Sales Expectations - The company expects higher sales due to increased domestic production of pork and chicken [1] - The anticipated rise in sales is positioned to offset a decline in beef production [1]

Core Insights - Tyson Foods (TSN) is expected to report quarterly earnings of $0.85 per share, reflecting a decline of 7.6% year-over-year, while revenues are forecasted to reach $13.91 billion, indicating a 2.5% increase compared to the previous year [1] Earnings Estimates - Over the past 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate has been revised upward by 5.1%, indicating analysts' reassessment of their initial forecasts [2] - Changes in earnings estimates are crucial for predicting investor reactions, with empirical studies showing a strong correlation between earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price performance [3] Sales Projections - Analysts project 'Sales- Chicken' to reach $4.30 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 1.1% [4] - 'Sales- Beef' is expected to be $5.45 billion, indicating a 3.7% increase from the previous year [5] - 'Sales- International/Other' is forecasted at $612.05 million, showing a 0.5% increase year-over-year [5] - 'Sales- Prepared Foods' is estimated to reach $2.51 billion, suggesting a 1.5% increase compared to the prior year [5] - 'Sales- Pork' is projected to be $1.52 billion, indicating a 6% increase year-over-year [6] Adjusted Operating Income Estimates - The consensus for 'Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)- Pork' is estimated at $23.28 million, up from $19.00 million in the previous year [6] - 'Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)- International/Other' is projected at $13.80 million, compared to $3.00 million reported in the same quarter last year [7] - 'Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)- Prepared Foods' is expected to be $212.35 million, up from $205.00 million year-over-year [7]

Group 1 - Tyson Foods is one of the largest meat producers globally, operating in beef, pork, and chicken categories [1][5] - The company faces challenges due to the commodity nature of its products, leading to volatility in financial performance despite efforts to introduce more branded products [4][6] - Tyson's stock has decreased nearly 50% from its 2022 highs, reflecting investor concerns over earnings pressure, although sales and book value suggest potential value [5][6] Group 2 - The meat production process involves significant costs and complexities, including animal care, processing, and packaging [2][3] - The company is currently experiencing weak markets for beef and pork, which has adversely affected its gross profit margin [6] - Management is addressing the challenges, but many factors influencing performance are beyond the company's control, including commodity price volatility [7]

Core Insights - Companies with a strong history of dividend payments and increases are attractive to income-focused investors, with Tyson Foods, First Merchants, and Fidelity National Financial recently announcing dividend hikes [1] Tyson Foods - Tyson Foods has increased its dividends for 12 consecutive years, with the latest hike on Nov. 12 raising the quarterly payout from $0.49 to $0.50 per share, resulting in an annual figure of $2 per share [3] - The current dividend yield for Tyson Foods is 3.84% [3] - The company's annual revenue as of June 30 was $54.15 billion, and Q3 2025 revenues were reported at $13.88 billion with an EPS of $0.91, both exceeding market expectations [4] First Merchants - First Merchants has raised its dividends for 13 consecutive years, with the most recent increase on May 16 raising the quarterly payout from $0.35 to $0.36 per share, equating to an annual figure of $1.44 per share [5] - The current dividend yield for First Merchants is 3.98% [5] - The company's annual revenue as of June 30 was $637.74 million, with Q2 2025 revenues reported at $164.32 million, which was below the consensus estimate of $169.76 million, while EPS of $0.98 exceeded the consensus of $0.94 [6] Fidelity National Financial - Fidelity National Financial provides a range of insurance products in the U.S. [7]

Core Viewpoint - Tyson Foods is a global leader in food processing, focusing on chicken, beef, and pork products, with operations in over 80 countries [1] Group 1: Company Overview - Tyson Foods has a market capitalization of $18.28 billion and is committed to innovation and sustainability through new product launches and strategic investments [2] - The company is set to report its fourth-quarter results for fiscal 2025 on November 10, with analysts having a mixed view on its bottom-line growth trajectory [3] Group 2: Financial Performance - Analysts expect a 7.6% year-over-year decline in profit for the upcoming quarter, projecting earnings of $0.85 per diluted share, while the current fiscal year profit is expected to increase by 24.5% to $3.86 per diluted share [4] - Tyson Foods has a history of beating consensus estimates, having done so in each of the last four quarters [4] Group 3: Market Challenges - The company faces pressures from tight supply and rising costs, including an $85 million settlement for a lawsuit regarding collusion to inflate pork prices [5] - Tyson Foods' stock has underperformed the broader market, dropping 11.2% over the past 52 weeks and 9.3% year-to-date, while the S&P 500 Index has gained 18.4% and 16.9% respectively [5] - Compared to the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund, Tyson Foods has also underperformed, as the ETF dropped 2.3% over the past 52 weeks [6] Group 4: Recent Earnings - In its third-quarter results for fiscal 2025, Tyson Foods reported a 4% year-over-year revenue increase to $13.88 billion, with adjusted EPS of $0.91, surpassing analysts' estimates [7]