Pilgrim's Pride fourth-quarter numbers showed a company profit of $41.8 million, 24% higher than 2009's fourth-quarter number of $33.6 million.
Revenue rose less than expected, jumping 13% to $1.81 billion, while the company's gross margin widened to 6.7% for the fourth quarter of 2010 compared to 2009's 4.5%. Pilgrim's Pride President and CEO Bill Lovette said that talks with customers indicate that pricing should be improved this year from 2010, as "chicken should be attractively positioned with budget-conscious consumers" due to the higher prices expected for beef and pork.
