Why These 15 Consumer Defensive Stocks Are Surging in 2025

13. Pilgrims Pride Corp (NASDAQ:PPC)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q4 2024: 28

Pilgrims Pride Corp (NASDAQ:PPC) is a major poultry producer that operates in three reportable segments: U.S., Europe, and Mexico, with the U.S. segment generating the highest net sales.

The company’s stock has experienced significant growth in 2025. A major catalyst for the stock surge was the announcement of a special cash dividend of $6.30 per share.

Pilgrim’s Pride reported net sales of $17.9 billion, up from $17.4 billion in the previous year, while net income more than tripled to $1.1 billion from $322.3 million in 2023. Gross profit showed remarkable improvement, reaching $2.3 billion, more than double the previous year’s $1.1 billion, while operating income increased significantly to $1.5 billion compared to $522.3 million in the prior year.

The consensus price target of $48.4 implies 9.21% downside.

PPC stock is up 32.55% year-to-date.