Tyson Foods Drops 12.2% in 3 Months With Beef Losses Still Widening

Tyson’s Beef Losses Keep Deepening

Beef sales fell to $5.39 billion in the fiscal third quarter as volume declined 15.9%, while average price increased 12.1%. Adjusted segment operating loss widened to $138 million from $116 million a year earlier.

For the first nine months of fiscal 2026, adjusted Beef operating loss reached $483 million, compared with $223 million a year earlier. Tyson said network optimization benefits were more than offset by USDA margin compression and higher cattle costs.

TSN Faces a Tougher Beef Outlook

Tyson now expects a fiscal 2026 adjusted Beef operating loss of $500 million to $650 million, worse than its prior outlook of $350 million to $500 million. Tight cattle supplies and elevated cattle costs remain the main constraints on throughput and profitability.

Management said the phased reopening of the Mexican border could improve cattle availability over time, but it is not expected to materially benefit fiscal 2026. The company also cautioned that the reopening will not fully close the Beef profitability gap even in fiscal 2027.

Tyson’s Chicken Business Provides a Counterweight

Chicken sales increased to $4.26 billion in the fiscal third quarter, while adjusted segment operating income rose to $488 million from $448 million. Adjusted margin expanded 60 basis points to 11.2%, and retail and foodservice volume increased 3.8%.

Tyson maintained fiscal 2026 adjusted Chicken operating income guidance of $1.9 billion to $2.05 billion. Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation PPC, another major protein processor, operates chicken processing and prepared-foods facilities across the United States and international markets, making it a relevant industry reference for Tyson’s poultry exposure.

TSN Still Has Financial Buffers

Operating cash flow totaled $1.47 billion through the first nine months of fiscal 2026, while capital expenditures of $556 million left free cash flow at $913 million. Tyson ended the quarter with $4 billion of liquidity and net leverage of 2.1 times.

Total debt declined by $824 million from fiscal 2025, and management expects fiscal 2026 free cash flow of $1.3 billion to $1.7 billion. Hormel Foods Corporation HRL, a global branded food company with a portfolio spanning meat and snacking categories, provides another useful reference point for Tyson’s branded Prepared Foods exposure.

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Tyson’s Signals Still Call for Caution

The balance of evidence remains mixed. Chicken, Prepared Foods and cash generation offer support, but Beef losses are still widening and the company’s fiscal 2026 Beef outlook has deteriorated.

TSN currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), despite a VGM Score of A, Value Score of B, Growth Score of B and Momentum Score of C. The favorable Value, Growth and VGM Scores point to attractive underlying style characteristics, but Style Scores are designed to complement the Zacks Rank rather than override it.

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 earnings is $3.95 per share and has moved 2.6% lower over the past four weeks. That negative revision trend, together with the #5 Rank, supports a cautious near-term view even after the recent share-price decline.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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