| Factor | Score | Distribution | Value | Avg | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valuation | 37 | 49.9x | 17.3x | Bottom tier | |
Growth | 12 | -42.5% | 7.1% | Bottom tier | |
Quality | 19 | 0.3% | 4.5% | Bottom tier | |
Safety | 92 | — | 2.6x | Top tier | |
Capital Return | 95 | 3.96% | 0.06% | Top tier | |
Momentum | 19 | -24.9% | -1.6% | Bottom tier | |
Sentiment | 43 | 3 | 3 | Around median |
The floor: what the company is worth if growth stopped today
90% of today's price is what a buyer pays for growth that has not happened yet.
10-year US Treasury yield 4.96% as of 2026-10-22. Estimates computed from company data and analyst targets, not investment advice.
Ten ratios that matter, each compared against its sector median and average — so you can see whether a number is rich or cheap relative to peers in the same sector.
Cal-Maine Foods produces and sells eggs through its conventional egg and specialty egg businesses, and is expanding its revenue sources into prepared foods based on eggs and protein. Its offering includes cage-free, organic, nutritionally enhanced, and pasture-raised eggs, alongside Crepini products and the Echo Lake, Creighton Brothers, and Van's platforms. The conventional egg business relies on integrated production, distribution, and customer relationships, and its revenue is affected by wholesale egg prices, while cost-plus and hybrid pricing arrangements help diversify the relationship between costs and selling prices.
In quarter 1 of fiscal year 2027 (ending 2026-08), revenue totaled $539.6 million, down 41.5% year over year, and the company recorded a net loss of $58.6 million and a diluted loss per share of $1.26. Gross margin was 0.1% and operating margin was -15.2%, compared with 33.7% and 27.0%, respectively, in quarter 1 of fiscal year 2026 (ending 2025-08). This reflects the company's exposure to excess conventional egg supply and falling prices, alongside higher input costs and spending ahead of prepared foods capacity becoming fully operational.
In quarter 1 of fiscal year 2027, conventional eggs generated sales of $201.7 million and an operating loss of $71 million, while specialty eggs generated sales of $236.9 million and operating profit of $14.9 million at a margin of 6.3%. Prepared foods generated sales of $63 million and operating profit of $7.8 million at a margin of 12.4%; specialty eggs and prepared foods together represented approximately 54% of net sales, including approximately 12% from prepared foods. The profitability of these two businesses was insufficient to offset conventional egg losses and other costs, but the company ended the period with cash and investments of $767.6 million and total debt of $0.
Q1 FY2027 (2026-08)
Last 12 months to 2026-08-29
When: 2026-10-06
Gross margin compared with the 0.1% level
Operating cash flow compared with the -$101.4 million level
The median analyst price target is $75 within a range of $60 to $100, a low-confidence indicative estimate based on two analysts that reflects growth expectations, while the average consensus target is $81. The industry-multiple valuation is $47 within a range of $38 to $63, pricing next year's earnings at a median multiple of 12.1 across 11 companies, while the no-growth valuation is $6.30, representing current after-tax operating profit held constant indefinitely at a discount rate of 8.8%. The analyst target range overlaps with the industry-multiple range between $60 and $63, but the central values differ clearly, and the no-growth value remains below both because it holds the current profit level constant rather than factoring in recovery and growth; analyst targets are inherently optimistic, while the cash flow model tends to be conservative. Cal-Maine ranks 26 out of 36 within the industry on the valuation dimension, which compares valuation metrics across companies, with a score of 31 out of 100 for the period ending 2026-08-29.
Figures in the text are as of 2026-10-03; the live price is shown at the top of the page.
Cal-Maine Foods' revenue fell to $539.6 million in quarter 1 of fiscal year 2027 (ending 2026-08), down 41.5% year over year, and it recorded a net loss of $58.6 million. Management explained on the 2026-09-30 call that the problem is excess supply and falling conventional egg prices, alongside higher feed and delivery costs. In contrast, it pointed to approximately 4% growth in U.S. retail egg sales volumes from the beginning of 2026 through August, so the decline in company revenue alone does not imply weak end demand for eggs.
Specialty eggs and prepared foods represented approximately 54% of net sales in quarter 1 of fiscal year 2027 (ending 2026-08), including approximately 12% from prepared foods. The two businesses generated operating margins of 6.3% and 12.4%, respectively, while conventional eggs recorded an operating loss of $71 million. However, management confirmed on 2026-09-30 that specialty egg prices are also affected by conventional eggs, so diversification reduces exposure without eliminating the price cycle.
Automated analysis for informational purposes only — not investment advice.
When: The first half of fiscal year 2028
An increase in prepared foods capacity of more than 60% from the end of fiscal year 2026
The company aims to increase prepared foods capacity by more than 60% by the first half of fiscal year 2028 compared with the end of fiscal year 2026 (ending 2026-05). The plan includes the high-speed pancake line, expanded scrambled egg production, and increased Crepini capacity, while benefiting from the capabilities added by Echo Lake, Creighton Brothers, and Van's. Management explained on the 2026-09-30 call that installation and startup costs precede revenue, and that success requires attracting customers, increasing capacity utilization, and absorbing fixed costs. It expected the impact of commercializing the new capacity to begin emerging in the second half of fiscal year 2027, without specifying a target annual margin.
The company ended quarter 1 of fiscal year 2027 (ending 2026-08) with cash and investments of $767.6 million and total debt of $0. Share repurchases totaled $136.2 million over the last 12 months through 2026-08-29, and diluted shares declined 3.6% year over year to 46.7 million shares in quarter 1 of fiscal year 2027. However, operating cash flow for that quarter was -$101.4 million, and free cash flow for the last 12 months was -$32.8 million, making continued losses a factor affecting the pace of liquidity consumption. The balance sheet provides room to fund the plan, while operating recovery and the pace of spending remain decisive factors in its sustainability.
Cal-Maine's dividends are tied to a variable policy based on cumulative profitability, rather than the amount of cash alone. Management explained on the 2026-09-30 call that the cumulative loss requiring recovery totaled $94.5 million at the end of quarter 1 of fiscal year 2027 (ending 2026-08). The company will therefore pay no cash dividends until it restores profitability on this basis, despite holding cash and investments of $767.6 million at the end of the period. Share repurchases remain a separate avenue for returning capital to shareholders.