Topline
Shares of Tyson Foods rose modestly Monday after the company posted mixed results in its fourth quarter and reported chicken sales have reached a three-year high amid a drop in demand for beef as prices rise.
The Tyson logo is displayed on a bag of frozen chicken nuggets on Nov. 12, 2024.
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Key Facts
Tyson, the largest meat company in the U.S., on Monday reported $13.86 billion in sales for its last fiscal quarter, missing Wall Street’s $14.11 billion sales estimate, but posted better adjusted earnings than expected at $1.15 a share (analysts had forecast 84 cents).
Chicken sales rose almost 4% over last year, from $4.251 billion to $4.411 billion, the company said, predicting they’ll continue to rise another 2% to 4% in fiscal year 2026.
Tyson’s beef business, suffering due to the limited supply of American cattle, lost $94 million last quarter on an adjusted basis and, with domestic production of beef expected to continue falling, Tyson estimates it will have an adjusted operating loss between $400 million and $600 million for its beef business in fiscal 2026.
Tyson sold 8.4% fewer pounds of beef in the quarter despite prices up 17% as the company’s cattle costs rose almost $2 billion from a year ago.
The company cited the USDA in estimating domestic production of pork and beef will fall 3% and 2%, respectively, in fiscal 2026, while chicken production is expected to increase 1%.
Tyson shares hit an intraday high of $55.67 on Monday, up about 5%, before falling back down to $53.76 in the afternoon.
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Big Number
51%. That’s how much the price of ground beef rose from February of 2020 to September of 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prices rose roughly 12% from September of 2024 to September 2025.