Cal-Maine Foods Reports $58.6 Million First Quarter Loss
Cal-Maine Foods reported a $58.6 million first-quarter loss as an industry oversupply caused conventional shell egg prices to collapse.
The largest U.S. egg producer, Cal-Maine Foods, reported a net loss of $58.6 million for the first quarter ended August 29, 2026. This represents a sharp reversal from the $199.3 million profit the company recorded during the same period the previous year. Net sales fell 41.5% to $539.6 million, driven primarily by an industry oversupply that pushed conventional shell egg prices down nearly 60%.
While prepared foods and specialty shell eggs provided partial offsets, they were insufficient to counter the collapse in the conventional segment. As a result of the financial downturn, the company will not pay a dividend for the first quarter. CEO Sherman Miller noted that while chick cancellations and breeder activity suggest the industry is pulling back from overproduction, these signals do not guarantee improved conditions.
In a separate legal matter, Cal-Maine Foods settled an alleged price-rigging scheme with the United States Department of Justice and 17 state attorneys general. The company agreed to pay $1.5 million and donate 30 million eggs to food banks, though it denied any wrongdoing.
