CAL-MAINE FOODS INC (CALM)
SIC breadcrumb: Agriculture, Forestry, And Fishing > SIC Major Group 02 > SIC 0200 Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties
SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=16160. Latest filing source: 0001562762-25-000170.
Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 4,261,885,000 | USD | 2025 | 2025-07-22 |
| Net income | 1,220,048,000 | USD | 2025 | 2025-07-22 |
| Assets | 3,084,619,000 | USD | 2025 | 2025-07-22 |
Financials
Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2025-07-22. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000016160.json. Derived margins are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 1,361,188,000 | 1,351,609,000 | 1,348,987,000 | 1,777,159,000 | 3,146,217,000 | 2,326,443,000 | 4,261,885,000 | |||
| Net income | 316,041,000 | -74,278,000 | 125,932,000 | 54,229,000 | 18,391,000 | 2,060,000 | 132,650,000 | 758,024,000 | 277,888,000 | 1,220,048,000 |
| Operating income | 471,877,000 | -134,146,000 | 100,507,000 | 45,781,000 | 1,269,000 | -26,264,000 | 143,537,000 | 967,726,000 | 312,452,000 | 1,536,539,000 |
| Gross profit | 648,074,000 | 45,550,000 | 361,046,000 | 222,859,000 | 179,588,000 | 160,661,000 | 337,059,000 | 1,196,457,000 | 541,571,000 | 1,850,885,000 |
| Diluted EPS | 6.53 | -1.54 | 2.60 | 1.12 | 0.38 | 0.04 | 2.72 | 15.52 | 5.69 | 24.95 |
| Assets | 1,111,765,000 | 1,033,094,000 | 1,150,447,000 | 1,156,278,000 | 1,206,694,000 | 1,229,174,000 | 1,427,489,000 | 1,954,525,000 | 2,184,761,000 | 3,084,619,000 |
| Liabilities | 194,404,000 | 188,601,000 | 194,765,000 | 166,472,000 | 197,019,000 | 216,393,000 | 323,144,000 | 344,942,000 | 387,718,000 | 518,604,000 |
| Stockholders' equity | 915,275,000 | 842,687,000 | 953,333,000 | 986,624,000 | 1,009,675,000 | 1,012,781,000 | 1,104,551,000 | 1,611,081,000 | 1,800,147,000 | 2,560,624,000 |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 29,046,000 | 17,564,000 | 48,431,000 | 69,247,000 | 78,130,000 | 57,352,000 | 59,084,000 | 292,824,000 | 237,878,000 | 499,392,000 |
| Net margin | 3.98% | 1.36% | 0.15% | 7.46% | 24.09% | 11.94% | 28.63% | |||
| Operating margin | 3.36% | 0.09% | -1.95% | 8.08% | 30.76% | 13.43% | 36.05% |
Financial Charts
Quarterly
Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-04-01. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000016160.json.
| Quarter | End Date | Revenue | Net Income | Diluted EPS | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-Q1 | 2022-08-27 | 2.57 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2022-11-26 | 4.07 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-02-25 | 6.62 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-06-03 | 688,680,000 | 110,931,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2024-Q1 | 2023-09-02 | 459,344,000 | 926,000 | 0.02 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q2 | 2023-12-02 | 523,234,000 | 17,009,000 | 0.35 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-03-02 | 703,076,000 | 146,712,000 | 3.00 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-06-01 | 640,789,000 | 113,241,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2025-Q1 | 2024-08-31 | 785,871,000 | 149,976,000 | 3.06 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q2 | 2024-11-30 | 954,671,000 | 219,064,000 | 4.47 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-03-01 | 1,417,685,000 | 508,533,000 | 10.38 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-05-31 | 1,103,658,000 | 342,475,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2026-Q1 | 2025-08-30 | 922,602,000 | 199,340,000 | 4.12 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2026-Q2 | 2025-11-29 | 769,498,000 | 102,759,000 | 2.13 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2026-Q3 | 2026-02-28 | 666,951,000 | 50,459,000 | 1.06 | reported discrete quarter |
Quarterly Charts
Macro Cross-References
- CPIAUCSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average
- UNRATE - Unemployment Rate
- FEDFUNDS - Federal Funds Effective Rate
- CES0500000003 - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private
- DFEDTARU - Federal Funds Target Range - Upper Limit
- DFEDTARL - Federal Funds Target Range - Lower Limit
- DGS3MO - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 3-Month Constant Maturity
- DGS2 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 2-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS10 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS30 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 30-Year Constant Maturity
- T10Y2Y - 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity
- CPILFESL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy
- CPIUFDSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food
- CPIENGSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Energy
- CUSR0000SAH1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Shelter
- PCEPI - Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index
- PCEPILFE - Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy: Chain-type Price Index
- PPIACO - Producer Price Index by Commodity: All Commodities
- T10YIE - 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate
- U6RATE - Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons
- PAYEMS - All Employees, Total Nonfarm
- CIVPART - Labor Force Participation Rate
- EMRATIO - Employment-Population Ratio
- UNEMPLOY - Unemployed
- CE16OV - Employment Level
- ICSA - Initial Claims
- JTSJOL - Job Openings: Total Nonfarm
- JTSQUR - Quits: Total Nonfarm
- GDPC1 - Real Gross Domestic Product
- A191RL1Q225SBEA - Real Gross Domestic Product: Percent Change from Preceding Period
- INDPRO - Industrial Production: Total Index
- TCU - Capacity Utilization: Total Index
- HOUST - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units
- PERMIT - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Authorized in Permit-Issuing Places: Total Units
- RSAFS - Advance Retail Sales: Retail Trade
- PCE - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- DSPIC96 - Real Disposable Personal Income
- PSAVERT - Personal Saving Rate
- M2SL - M2
- BOPGSTB - U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: Balance
- MSPUS - Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States
- HSN1F - New One Family Houses Sold: United States
- RHORUSQ156N - Homeownership Rate in the United States
- TTLCONS - Total Construction Spending: Total Construction in the United States
- RRVRUSQ156N - Rental Vacancy Rate in the United States
- TOTALSL - Total Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- REVOLSL - Revolving Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- DRCCLACBS - Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product
- GPDI - Gross Private Domestic Investment
- GCE - Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment
- PCEC - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- NETEXP - Net Exports of Goods and Services
- GFDEBTN - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt
- GFDEGDQ188S - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product
- FYFSD - Federal Surplus or Deficit
- FGRECPT - Federal Government Current Receipts
- FGEXPND - Federal Government: Current Expenditures
- MANEMP - All Employees, Manufacturing
- USCONS - All Employees, Construction
- USTRADE - All Employees, Retail Trade
- USFIRE - All Employees, Financial Activities
- USGOVT - All Employees, Government
- AWHAETP - Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Total Private
- DGORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Durable Goods
- NEWORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft
- BUSINV - Total Business Inventories
- EXPGS - Exports of Goods and Services
- IMPGS - Imports of Goods and Services
- IR - Import Price Index (End Use): All Commodities
- PPIFIS - Producer Price Index by Commodity: Final Demand
Latest quarter (10-Q)
Latest 10-Q source: 0001562762-26-000046.
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS The following should be read in conjunction with Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included in Part II Item 7 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for its fiscal year ended May 31, 2025 (the “2025 Annual Report”), and the accompanying financial statements and notes included in Part II Item 8 of the 2025 Annual Report and in Part I Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (“Quarterly Report”). This Quarterly Report contains numerous forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) relating to our business, including potential future supply of and demand for our products, potential future corn and soybean price trends, potential future impact on our business of highly pathogenic avian influenza (“HPAI”), estimated future production data, expected construction schedules, projected construction costs, potential future impact on our business of inflation and changing interest rates, potential future impact on our business of new legislation, rules or policies, potential outcomes of legal proceedings, including loss contingency accruals and factors that may result in changes in the amounts recorded, other projected operating data, including anticipated results of operations and financial condition, and potential future cash returns to stockholders including the timing and amount of any repurchases under our share repurchase program. Such forward-looking statements are identified by the use of words such as “believes,” “intends,” “expects,” “hopes,” “may,” “should,” “plans,” “projected,” “contemplates,” “anticipates,” or similar words. Actual outcomes or results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on management’s current intent, belief, expectations, estimates, and projections regarding the Company and its industry. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that are difficult to predict and may be beyond our control. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements include, among others, (i) the risk factors set forth in Part I Item 1A Risk Factors of our 2025 Annual Report, as updated in Part II Item 1A of our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended November 29, 2025, as well as those included in other reports we file from time to time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) (including our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K), (ii) the risks and hazards inherent in the shell egg, egg products and prepared foods operations (including, as applicable, disease, pests, weather conditions, and potential for product recall), including but not limited to the current outbreak of HPAI affecting poultry in the U.S., Canada and other countries that was first detected in commercial flocks in the U.S. in February 2022 and that impacted our flocks in the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2024 and again in March 2026, (iii) changes in the demand for and market prices of shell eggs and feed costs as well as increase in input costs for prepared foods, (iv) our ability to predict and meet demand for cage-free and other specialty eggs, (v) risks, changes, or obligations that could result from our recent or future acquisition of new flocks or businesses, such as our acquisition of Echo Lake Foods completed June 2, 2025, and risks or changes that may cause conditions to completing a pending acquisition not to be met, (vi) our ability to successfully integrate and manage recently acquired businesses like Echo Lake Foods and realize the expected benefits of such acquisitions, including synergies, cost savings, reduction in earnings volatility, margin expansion, financial returns, expanded customer relationships, or sales or growth opportunities, (vii) our ability to compete effectively with existing competitors and new market entrants, retain existing customers, acquire new customers and grow our product mix including our prepared foods product offerings, (viii) the impacts of government, customer and consumer reactions to high market prices for eggs, including, without limitation, potential new or expanded government regulations, (ix) potential impacts to our business as a result of our Company ceasing to be a “controlled company” under the rules of The Nasdaq Stock Market on April 14, 2025, (x) risks relating to potential changes in inflation, interest rates and trade and tariff policies, (xi) adverse results in pending litigation and other legal matters, and (xii) global instability, including as a result of geopolitical conflicts and other uncertainties. The actual timing, number and value of shares repurchased under our share repurchase program will be determined by management in its discretion and will depend on a number of factors, including but not limited to, the market price of our Common Stock and general market and economic conditions. The share repurchase program may be suspended, modified or discontinued at any time without prior notice. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because, while we believe the assumptions on which the forward- looking statements are based are reasonable, there can be no assurance that these forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Further, forward-looking statements included herein are made only as of the respective dates thereof, or if no date is stated, as of the date hereof. Except as otherwise required by law, we disclaim any intent or obligation to update publicly these forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise. COMPANY OVERVIEW Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (“Cal-Maine Foods,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” “our”) is the largest egg company in the U.S. and a leading player in the egg-based food industry. With a strong national footprint, Cal-Maine Foods provides nutritious, affordable, and sustainable protein to millions of households every day. Index 21 The Company’s shell egg portfolio spans the full egg value ladder—from conventional to specialty, including cage-free, organic, brown, free-range, pasture-raised, and nutritionally enhanced eggs—serving both retail and foodservice customers nationwide. Cal-Maine Foods also participates in the growing prepared foods sector, with offerings such as pre-cooked egg patties, omelets, folded and scrambled egg formats, hard-cooked eggs, pancakes, waffles, and specialty wraps. Our branded portfolio includes Eggland’s Best®, Land O’Lakes®, Farmhouse Eggs®, 4Grain®, Sunups®, MeadowCreek Foods®, and Crepini®. Our operations are integrated, and we have one operating and one reportable segment. Our total flock as of February 28, 2026, of approximately 48.0 million layers and 14.3 million pullets and breeders, is the largest in the U.S. We sell our products to a diverse group of customers, including national and regional grocery store chains, club stores, companies servicing independent supermarkets in the U.S., and foodservice distributors serving restaurants, convenience stores, healthcare and education facilities, and hotels throughout the majority of the U.S. and aim to maintain efficient, state-of-the-art operations located close to our customers. Our strategy includes three primary priorities: expanding specialty eggs and prepared foods, pursuing disciplined growth through acquisitions and leveraging our scale, vertical integration, operational excellence and financial strength. Our operating results are materially impacted by market prices for eggs and feed grains (corn and soybean meal), which are highly volatile, independent of each other, and out of our control. Generally, higher market prices for eggs have a positive impact on our financial results while higher market prices for feed grains have a negative impact on our financial results. Our pricing for shell eggs is negotiated with our customers on individual terms. We sell our shell eggs at prices based on formulas that take into account, in varying ways, independently quoted regional wholesale market prices for shell eggs, formulas related to our costs of production, such as grain-based and variations of cost-plus arrangements, or hybrid models including cost of production and wholesale market prices. Almost all of our conventional eggs are priced and sold under market-based pricing frameworks or the hybrid models described above, split almost evenly between such frameworks. The majority of our specialty eggs are priced and sold under frameworks that are based on cost of production, although we do have some customers that prefer market-based pricing for cage-free eggs. As a result, specialty egg prices typically do not fluctuate as much as conventional pricing. We do not sell eggs directly to consumers or set the prices at which eggs are sold to consumers. Retail sales of shell eggs historically have been highest during the fall and winter months and lowest during the summer months. Prices for shell eggs fluctuate in response to seasonal demand factors and a natural increase in egg production during the spring and early summer. Historically, shell egg prices tend to increase with the start of the school year and tend to be highest prior to holiday periods, particularly Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. As a result, we have historically experienced, and may experience in the future, lower shell egg selling prices, sales volumes and shell egg sales (and have incurred, and may incur in the future, net losses) in our first and fourth fiscal quarters ending in August/September and May/June, respectively. Because of the seasonal and quarterly fluctuations, comparisons of our sales and operating results between different quarters within a single fiscal year are not necessarily meaningful comparisons. We routinely fill our storage bins during harvest season when prices for feed ingredients are generally lower. To ensure continued availability of feed ingredients, we may enter into contracts for future purchases of corn and soybean meal, and as part of these contracts, we may lock-in the basis portion of our grain purchases several months in advance. Basis is the difference between the local cash price for grain and the applicable futures price. A basis contract is a common transaction in the grain market that allows us to lock-in a basis level for a specific delivery period and wait to set the futures price at a later date. Furthermore, due to the more limited supply for organic ingredients, we may commit to purchase organic ingredients in advance to help ensure supply. Ordinarily, we do not enter into long-term contracts beyond a year to purchase corn and soybean meal or hedge against increases in the prices of corn and soybean meal. Corn and soybean meal are commo [Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]
Latest 10-K MD&A
Part II. Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Acquisitions and Part II. Item 8. Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Note 17 - Subsequent Events . When we use “we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Company” in this report, we mean Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. and our consolidated subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires. The Company’s fiscal year-end is on the Saturday closest to May 31. Our fiscal year 2025 ended May 31, 2025, and the first three fiscal quarters of fiscal 2025 ended August 31, 2024, November 30, 2024, and March 1, 2025. All references herein to a fiscal year means our fiscal year and all references to a year mean a calendar year. Industry Background According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) Agricultural Marketing Service, in 2024 approximately 71% of table eggs produced in the U.S. were sold as shell eggs, with 57% sold through food-at-home outlets such as grocery and convenience stores, 12% sold to food-away-from home channels such as restaurants and 2% exported. The USDA estimated that in 2024 approximately 29% of eggs produced in the U.S. were sold as egg products (shell eggs broken and sold in liquid, frozen, or dried form) to institutions (e.g. companies producing baked goods). For information about egg producers in the U.S., see “Competition” below. Our industry has been greatly impacted by several outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (“HPAI”) in recent years. For additional information regarding HPAI and its impact on our industry and business, see Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors and Part II. Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - HPAI . Given historical consumption trends, we believe that general demand for eggs in the U.S. increases basically in line with the overall U.S. population growth; however, specific events can impact egg supply and consumption in a particular period, as occurred with the 2015 HPAI outbreak, the COVID-19 pandemic (particularly during 2020), and the most recent HPAI outbreaks starting in early 2022. For fiscal 2025, shell egg household penetration is approximately 97%. According to the USDA’s Economic Research Service, estimated annual per capita consumption in the United States between 2020 and 2024 varied, ranging from 271 to 288 eggs which is directly impacted by available supply. The USDA calculates per capita consumption by dividing total shell egg disappearance in the U.S. by the U.S. population. The most significant shift in demand in recent years has been among specialty eggs, particularly cage-free eggs. For additional information, see “Specialty Eggs” below. 6 Prices for Shell Eggs Wholesale shell egg sales prices are a critical component of revenue for the Company. Wholesale shell egg prices are volatile, cyclical, and impacted by a number of factors, including consumer demand, seasonal fluctuations, the number and productivity of laying hens in the U.S. and outbreaks of agricultural diseases such as HPAI. We believe the majority of conventional shell eggs sold in the U.S. in the retail and foodservice channels are sold at prices that take into account, in varying ways, independently quoted and certified wholesale market prices, such as those published by Urner Barry Publications, Inc. (“UB”) or the USDA for shell eggs; however, grain-based or variations of cost plus arrangements are also commonly utilized. Wholesale prices for cage-free eggs are quoted by independent sources such as UB and USDA. There is no independently quoted wholesale market price for other specialty eggs such as nutritionally enhanced, organic, pasture-raise and free-range eggs. Specialty eggs are typically sold at prices and terms negotiated directly with customers and in the case of cage-free eggs, can be sold at prices that take into account independently quoted markets. Historically, prices for specialty eggs have generally been higher due to customer and consumer willingness to pay more for specialty eggs. The weekly average price for the southeast region for large white conventional shell eggs as quoted by UB is shown below for the past three fiscal years along with the five-year average price. The actual prices that we realize on any given transaction will not necessarily equal quoted market prices because of the individualized terms that we negotiate with individual customers which are influenced by many factors. As further discussed in Part II. Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis – Results of Operations , egg prices in fiscal 2023 through fiscal 2025 were significantly impacted by HPAI. Our pricing for shell eggs is negotiated with our customers on individual terms. We sell our shell eggs at prices based on formulas that take into account, in varying ways, independently quoted regional wholesale market prices for shell eggs, formulas related to our costs of production, such as grain-based and variations of cost-plus arrangements, or hybrid models including cost of production and wholesale market prices. The majority of our conventional eggs are priced and sold under frameworks that generally utilize market-based formulas tied to independently quoted regional wholesale market quotes. The majority of our specialty eggs are sold under frameworks that do not utilize market-based formulas, although we do have some customers that prefer market-based pricing for cage-free eggs. As a result, specialty egg prices typically do not fluctuate as much as conventional pricing. We do not sell eggs directly to consumers or set the prices at which eggs are sold to consumers. 7 Depending on market conditions, input costs and individualized contract terms, the price we receive per dozen eggs in any given transaction may be more than or less than our production cost per dozen. Feed Costs for Shell Egg Production Feed is a primary cost component in the production of shell eggs and represented 53.4% of our fiscal 2025 farm production costs. We routinely fill our feed storage bins during harvest season when prices for feed ingredients, primarily corn and to a lesser extent soybean meal, are generally lower. To ensure continued availability of feed ingredients, we may enter into contracts for future purchases of corn and soybean meal, and as part of these contracts, we may lock-in the basis portion of our grain purchases several months in advance. Basis is the difference between the local cash price for grain and the applicable futures price. The difference can be due to transportation costs, storage costs, supply and demand, local conditions and other factors. A basis contract is a common transaction in the grain market that allows us to lock-in a basis level for a specific delivery period and wait to set the futures price at a later date. Furthermore, due to the more limited supply for organic ingredients, we may commit to purchase organic ingredients in advance to help assure supply. Ordinarily, we do not enter into long-term contracts beyond a year to purchase corn and soybean meal or hedge against increases in the prices of corn and soybean meal. As the quality and composition of feed is a critical factor in the nutritional value of shell eggs and health of our chickens, we formulate and produce the vast majority of our own feed at our feed mills located near our production plants. Our annual feed requirements for fiscal 2025 were 2.1 million tons of finished feed, of which we manufactured 1.9 million tons. We currently have the capacity to store 215 thousand tons of corn and soybean meal, and we replenish these stores as needed throughout the year. Our primary feed ingredients, corn and soybean meal, are commodities that are subject to volatile price changes due to weather, various supply and demand factors, transportation and storage costs, speculators, agricultural, energy and trade policies in the U.S. and internationally, and global instability that could disrupt the supply chain. We purchase the vast majority of our corn and soybean meal from U.S sources but may be forced to purchase internationally when U.S. supplies are not readily available. Feed grains are currently available from an adequate number of sources in the U.S. As a point of reference, a multi-year comparison of the average of daily closing prices per Chicago Board of Trade for each quarter in our fiscal years 2021-2025 are shown below for corn and soybean meal: 8 Shell Egg Production Our percentage of dozens produced to sold was 88.6% of our total shell eggs sold in fiscal 2025. We supplement our production through purchases of eggs from others when needed. The quantity of eggs purchased will vary based on many factors such as our own production capabilities and current market conditions. In fiscal 2025, 90.8% of our production came from Company-owned facilities, and 9.2% from contract producers. The majority of our contract production is with family-owned farms for organic, pasture-raised and free-range eggs. Under a typical arrangement with a contract producer, we own the flock, furnish all feed and critical supplies, own the shell eggs produced and assume market risks. The contract producers own and operate their facilities and are paid a fee based on production with incentives for performance. The commercial production of shell eggs requires a source of baby chicks for laying flock replacement. We supply the majority of our chicks from our breeder farms and hatch them in our hatcheries in a computer-controlled environment and obtain the balance from commercial sources. The chicks are grown in our own pullet farms and are placed into the laying flock once they reach maturity. After eggs are produced, they are cleaned, graded and packaged. Substantially all our farms have modern “in-line” facilities which mechanically gather, clean, grade and package the eggs at the location where they are laid. The in-line facilities generate significant efficiencies and cost savings compared to the cost of eggs produced from non-in-line facilities, which process eggs that have been laid at another location and transported to the processing facility. The in-line facilities also produce a higher percentage of USDA Grade A eggs, which sell at higher prices. Eggs produced on farms owned by contractors are brought to our processing plants to be graded and packaged. We maintain a Safe Quality Food (“SQF”) Management Program which is overseen by our Food Safety Department and senior management team. As of May 31, 2025, every Company-owned processing plant was SQF certified. Because shell eggs are perishable, we do not maintain large egg inventories. Our egg inventory averaged five days of sales during fiscal 2025. We believe our constant focus on production efficiencies and automation throughout our vertically integrated operations enable us to be a low-cost supplier in our markets. We are proud to have created, implemented and maintained what we believe is a leading poultry Animal Welfare Program (“AWP”). We have aligned our AWP with regulatory, veterinary and our third-party certifying bodies’ guidance to govern the welfare of animals in our direct care and our contract farmers’ care. We continually review our program to monitor and evolve standards that guide how we hatch chicks, rear pullets and nurture breeder and layer hens. At each stage of our animals’ lives, we are dedicated to providing welfare conditions aligned to our commitment to the principles of the internationally recognized Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare . We do not use artificial hormones in the production of our eggs. Hormone use in the poultry and egg production industry has been effectively banned in the U.S. since the 1950s. We have an extensive written protocol that allows the use of medically important antibiotics only when animal health is at risk, consistent with guidance from the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and the Guidance for Judicious Therapeutic Use of Antimicrobials in Poultry, developed by the American Association of Avian Pathologists. When antibiotics are medically necessary, a licensed veterinary doctor will approve and administer approved doses for a restricted period. We do not use antibiotics for growth promotion or performance enhancement. Specialty Eggs We are one of the largest producers and marketers of value-added specialty shell eggs in the U.S., which continues to be a significant and growing segment of the market. We classify cage-free, organic, brown, free-range, pasture-raised and nutritionally enhanced as specialty eggs for accounting and reporting purposes. Specialty eggs are intended to meet the demands of consumers sensitive to environmental, health and/or animal welfare issues and to comply with state requirements for cage-free eggs. Ten states in the U.S. have passed legislation or regulations mandating minimum space or cage-free requirements for egg production or mandated the sale of only cage-free eggs and egg products in their states, with implementation of these laws ranging from January 2022 to January 2030. These states represent approximately 27% of the U.S. total population according to the 2020 U.S. Census. California, Massachusetts, Colorado, Michigan, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada, which collectively represent approximately 23% of the total estimated U.S. population, have cage-free legislation in effect. Due to the national egg shortage caused by HPAI, Nevada temporarily suspended its cage-free egg mandate and other states are considering similar actions. A significant number of our customers previously announced goals to either exclusively offer cage-free eggs or significantly increase the volume of cage-free egg sales in the future, subject in most cases to availability of supply, affordability and consumer demand, among other contingencies. Our customers typically do not commit to long-term purchases of specific quantities or types of eggs with us, and as a result, it is difficult to accurately predict customer requirements for cage-free eggs. We are focused on 9 adjusting our cage-free production capacity with a goal of meeting the future needs of our customers in light of changing state requirements and our customer’s goals. As always, we strive to offer a product mix that aligns with current and anticipated customer purchase decisions. We are engaging with our customers to help them meet their announced goals and needs. We have invested significant capital in recent years to acquire and construct cage-free facilities, and we expect our focus for future expansion will continue to include cage-free facilities. Our volume of cage-free egg sales has continued to increase and account for a larger share of our product mix. Cage-free egg revenue represented approximately 22.5% of our total net shell egg sales for fiscal year 2025. At the same time, we understand the importance of our continued ability to provide affordable conventional eggs in order to provide our customers with a variety of egg choices and to address hunger in our communities. Branded Eggs We are a member of the Eggland’s Best, Inc. cooperative (“EB”) and produce, market, distribute and sell Egg-Land’s Best® and Land O’ Lakes® branded eggs under license from EB at our facilities under EB guidelines. EB hens are fed a proprietary diet and offerings include nutritionally enhanced, cage-free, organic, pasture-raised and free-range eggs. Land O’ Lakes® branded eggs are produced by hens that are fed a whole-grain vegetarian diet and include brown, organic and cage-free eggs. In 2024, EB was the third best-selling dairy brand in the U.S. The top three best-selling branded specialty egg SKUs in 2024 were EB branded eggs and seven out of 10 best-selling SKUs were EB branded eggs. In 2024, our sales (including sales from affiliates) represented approximately 50% of EB branded eggs and 46% of Land O’ Lakes® branded eggs nationwide. Our Farmhouse Eggs ® brand eggs are produced at our facilities by hens that are provided with a vegetarian diet. Our offerings of Farmhouse Eggs ® include cage-free, organic and pasture raised eggs. We market organic, vegetarian and omega-3 eggs under our 4-Grain® brand, which consists of conventional and cage-free eggs. Our Sunups® and Sunny Meadow® brands are sold as conventional eggs. We also produce, market and distribute private label specialty and conventional shell eggs to several customers. Egg Products and Prepared Foods Our egg product offerings include liquid and frozen egg products, as well as prepared foods such as hard-cooked eggs, egg wraps, protein pancakes, crepes and wrap-ups. Liquid and frozen egg products are primarily sold to the institutional, foodservice and food manufacturing sectors in the U.S. Prepared foods are sold primarily within the retail and foodservice channels. During March 2023, MeadowCreek Food, LLC (“Meadowcreek”), a majority-owned subsidiary, began operations with a focus on being a leading provider of hard-cooked eggs. During second fiscal quarter 2025, we acquired the remaining ownership interest in MeadowCreek and it became a wholly-owned subsidiary. Effective on September 9, 2024, we completed a strategic investment with Crepini LLC, establishing a new egg products and prepared foods venture. Crepini LLC, founded in 2007, grew its brand throughout the U.S. and in Mexico featuring egg wraps, protein pancakes, crepes, and wrap-ups, which are sold online and in over 3,500 retail stores. The new entity, located in Hopewell Junction, New York, operates as Crepini Foods LLC (“Crepini”). We capitalized Crepini with approximately $6.75 million in cash to purchase additional equipment and other assets and fund working capital in exchange for a 51% interest in the new venture. Crepini LLC contributed its existing assets and business in exchange for a 49% interest in the new venture. Subsequent to fiscal 2025, we acquired Echo Lake Foods for approximately $258 million. Echo Lake Foods is based in Burlington, Wisconsin and produces, packages, markets and distributes prepared foods, including waffles, pancakes, scrambled eggs, frozen cooked omelets, egg patties, toast and diced eggs. For additional information regarding our acquisition of Echo Lake Foods, see Part II. Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Acquisitions and Part II. Item 8. Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Note 17 - Subsequent Events . 10 Summary of Product Sales The following table sets forth the contribution as a percentage of revenue and volumes of dozens sold of conventional and specialty shell eggs and egg products and prepared food sales for the following fiscal years: 2025 2024 2023 Revenue Volume Revenue Volume Revenue Volume Conventional Eggs Branded 6.0 % 5.1 % 4.3 % 4.9 % 6.6 % 6.4 % Private-label 53.8 49.7 46.8 54.4 52.9 52.6 Other 7.1 8.5 4.4 5.8 5.7 6.3 Total Conventional Eggs 66.9 % 63.3 % 55.5 % 65.1 % 65.2 % 65.3 % Specialty Eggs Branded 12.2 % 17.0 % 20.3 % 17.4 % 18.0 20.4 % Private-label 14.1 17.8 18.5 16.3 11.3 12.9 Other 1.3 1.9 1.0 1.2 1.1 1.4 Total Specialty Eggs 27.6 % 36.7 % 39.8 % 34.9 % 30.4 % 34.7 % Egg Products and Prepared Foods 4.6 % 3.8 % 3.9 % Marketing and Distribution In fiscal 2025, we sold our products in 40 states through the southwestern, southeastern, mid-western, mid-Atlantic and northeastern regions of the U.S. as well as Puerto Rico through our extensive distribution network to a diverse group of customers, including national and regional grocery store chains, club stores, companies servicing independent supermarkets in the U.S., foodservice distributors and egg product consumers. Some of our sales are completed through co-pack agreements – a common practice in the industry whereby production and processing of certain products are outsourced to another producer. The majority of eggs sold are based on the daily or short-term needs of our customers. Most sales to established accounts are on payment terms ranging from seven to 30 days. Although we have established long-term relationships with many of our customers, most of them are free to acquire shell eggs from other sources. The shell eggs we sell are either delivered to our customers’ warehouse or retail stores, by our own fleet or contracted refrigerated delivery trucks, or are picked up by our customers at our processing facilities. We are a member of the Eggland’s Best, Inc. cooperative and produce, market, distribute and sell Egg-Land’s Best® and Land O’ Lakes® branded eggs directly and through our joint ventures, Specialty Eggs, LLC and Southwest Specialty Eggs, LLC, under exclusive license agreements in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, and in portions of Arkansas, California, Kansas, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma and South Carolina. We also have an exclusive license in New York City in addition to exclusivity in select New York metropolitan areas, including areas within New Jersey and Pennsylvania. As discussed above under “Branded Eggs,” we also sell our own Farmhouse Eggs ® and 4-Grain ® branded eggs. Customers Our top three customers accounted for an aggregate of 49.2%, 49.0% and 50.1% of our net sales dollars for fiscal 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively. Our largest customer, Walmart Inc. (including Sam's Club), accounted for 33.6%, 34.0% and 34.2% of net sales dollars for fiscal 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively. For shell egg sales in fiscal 2025, approximately 86% of our revenue related to sales to retail customers and 13% to sales to foodservice providers. Retail customers include primarily national and regional grocery store chains, club stores, and companies servicing independent supermarkets in the U.S. Foodservice customers include primarily companies that sell food products and related items to restaurants, healthcare and education facilities and hotels. 11 Competition The production, processing, and distribution of shell eggs is an intensely competitive business, which has traditionally attracted large numbers of producers in the U.S. Shell egg competition is generally based on price, service and product quality. The shell egg production industry remains highly fragmented. According to Egg Industry Magazine , the ten largest producers owned approximately 54% of industry table egg layer hens at calendar year-end 2024 and 2023. Seasonality Retail sales of shell eggs historically have been highest during the fall and winter months and lowest during the summer months. Prices for shell eggs fluctuate in response to seasonal demand factors and a natural increase in egg production during the spring and early summer. Historically, shell egg prices tend to increase with the start of the school year and tend to be highest prior to holiday periods, particularly Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Consequently, and all other things being equal, we would expect to experience lower selling prices, sales volumes and net income (and may incur net losses) in our first and fourth fiscal quarters ending in August/September and May/June, respectively. Accordingly, we generally expect our need for working capital to be highest during those quarters. Growth Strategy Our growth strategy is centered on both organic growth and growth through acquisitions while also diversifying our product portfolio. Organic growth is a core, ongoing focus area for us which is grounded in our culture of operational excellence to streamline workflows, reduce waste, optimize resources and enhance productivity. We are committed to investing in our existing operations to strive for improved profitability by increasing sales, lowering costs and maintaining exceptional customer service. We have continued to grow our production of cage-free shell eggs and other higher value specialty eggs such as pasture-raised, free-range and organic shell eggs. In addition to organic efforts, we believe that we can continue to expand the market reach of our shell egg and egg product businesses, as well as grow our prepared foods business through accretive acquisitions that deliver favorable returns through our operating model emphasizing synergies and efficient operations. Trademarks and License Agreements We own the trademarks Farmhouse Eggs® , Sunups® , Sunny Meadow® and 4Grain® . We produce and market Egg-Land's Best ® and Land O’ Lakes ® branded eggs under license agreements with EB. We believe these trademarks and license agreements are important to our business. Government Regulation Our facilities and operations are subject to regulation by various federal, state, and local agencies, including, but not limited to, the FDA, USDA, Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) and corresponding state agencies. The applicable regulations relate to grading, quality control, labeling, sanitary control and reuse or disposal of waste. Our shell egg facilities are subject to periodic USDA, FDA, EPA and OSHA inspections. Our feed production facilities are subject to FDA, EPA and OSHA regulation and inspections. We maintain inspection programs and in certain cases utilize independent third-party certification bodies to monitor compliance with regulations, our own standards and customer specifications. It is possible that we will be required to incur significant costs for compliance with such statutes and regulations. In the future, additional rules could be proposed that, if adopted, could increase our costs. A number of states have passed legislation or regulations mandating minimum space or cage-free requirements for egg production or have mandated the sale of only cage-free eggs and egg products in their states. For further information refer to the heading “Specialty Eggs” within this section. Environmental Regulation Our operations and facilities are subject to various federal, state, and local environmental, health and safety laws and regulations governing, among other things, the generation, storage, handling, use, transportation, disposal, and remediation of hazardous materials. Under these laws and regulations, we must obtain permits from governmental authorities, including, but not limited to, wastewater discharge permits. We have made, and will continue to make, capital and other expenditures relating to compliance with existing environmental, health and safety laws and regulations and permits. We are not currently aware of any material capital expenditures necessary to comply with such laws and regulations; however, as environmental, health and safety laws and regulations are becoming increasingly more stringent, including those relating to animal wastes and wastewater discharges, it is possible that we will have to incur significant costs for compliance with such laws and regulations in the future. 12 Human Capital Resources As of May 31, 2025, we had 3,828 employees, of whom 3,064 worked in egg production, processing, and marketing, 231 worked in feed mill operations and 533, including our executive officers, were administrative employees. Approximately 3.8% of our personnel are part-time, and we utilize temporary employment agencies and independent contractors to augment our staffing needs when necessary. For fiscal 2025, we had 1,975 average monthly contingent workers. As of May 31, 2025, 43 employees were covered by a collective bargaining agreement. We consider our relations with employees to be good. Culture and Values We are proud to be contributing corporate citizens where we live and work and to help create healthy, prosperous communities. Our colleagues help us continue to enhance our community contributions, which are driven by our longstanding culture that strives to promote an environment that upholds integrity and respect and provides opportunities for each colleague to realize full potential. These commitments are encapsulated in the Cal-Maine Foods’ Code of Ethics and Business Conduct and in our Human Rights Statement. Health and Safety Our top priority is the health and safety of our employees, who continue to produce high-quality, affordable products for our customers and contribute to a stable food supply. Our enterprise safety committee is comprised of two corporate safety managers, and seven local site compliance managers. The committee that oversees health and safety reviews our written policies and changes to OSHA regulation standards annually and shares information as it relates to outcomes from incidents monthly with all our facilities to improve future performance and our health and safety practices. The committee’s goals include working to help ensure that our engagements with customers and regulators evidence our strong commitment to our workers’ health and safety. Our commitment to our colleagues’ health includes a strong commitment to on-site worker safety, including a focus on accident prevention and life safety. Our Safety and Health Program is designed to promote best practices that help prevent and minimize workplace accidents and illnesses. The scope of our Safety and Health Program applies to all enterprise colleagues. Additionally, to help protect the health and well-being of our colleagues and people in our value chain, we require that any contractors or vendors acknowledge and agree to comply with the guidelines governed by our Safety and Health Program. At each of our locations, our general managers are expected to uphold and implement our Safety and Health Program in alignment with OSHA requirements. We believe that this program, which is reviewed annually by our senior management team, contributes to strong safety outcomes. As part of our Safety and Health Program, we conduct multi-lingual training that covers topics such as slip-and- fall avoidance, respiratory protection, prevention of hazardous communication of chemicals, the proper use of personal protective equipment, hearing conservation, emergency response, lockout and tagout of equipment and forklift safety, among others. We have also installed dry hydrogen peroxide biodefense systems in our processing facilities to help protect our colleagues’ respiratory health. To help drive our focus on colleague safety, we developed safety committees at each of our sites with employee representation from each department. We review the success of our safety programs on a monthly basis to monitor their effectiveness and the development of any trends that need to be addressed. People Our strength as a company comes from our employees at all levels and we have a long-established culture that values each individual’s contributions and encourages productivity and growth. This culture is driven by our Board of Directors (the “Board”) and executive management team. Our Policy against Harassment, Discrimination, Unlawful or Unethical Conduct and Retaliation; Reporting Procedure affirms our commitment to supporting our employees regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin or any other basis protected by applicable law. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer that prohibits any violation of applicable federal, state, or local law regarding employment. Discrimination on any basis protected by applicable law is prohibited. We maintain strong protocols to help our colleagues perform their jobs free from harassment and discrimination. We are committed to offering our colleagues opportunities commensurate with our operational needs and their experiences, goals and contributions. Recruitment, Development and Retention We believe in compensating our colleagues with fair and competitive wages, in addition to offering competitive benefits. Approximately 79% of our employees are paid at hourly rates, which are all paid at rates above the federal minimum wage 13 requirement. We offer our full-time eligible employees a range of benefits, including company-paid life insurance. The Company provides a comprehensive self-insured health plan and pays approximately 76% of the costs of the plan for participating employees and their families as of December 31, 2024. Recent benchmarking of our health plan indicates comparable benefits, at lower employee contributions, when compared to an applicable Agriculture and Food Manufacturing sector grouping, as well as peer group data. In addition, we offer employees the opportunity to purchase an extensive range of other group plan benefits, such as dental, vision, accident, critical illness, disability and voluntary life. After six months of employment, full-time employees who meet eligibility requirements may elect to participate in our KSOP retirement plan, which offers a range of investment alternatives and includes many positive features, such as automatic enrollment with scheduled automatic contribution increases and loan provisions. Regardless of the employees’ elections to contribute to the KSOP, the Company contributes shares of Company stock or cash equivalent at 3% of participants’ eligible compensation for each pay period that hours are worked. We provide extensive training and development related to safety, regulatory compliance, and task training. We invest in developing our future leaders through our Management Intern, Management Trainee and informal mentoring programs. Sustainability We understand that climate, and the potential consequences of climate change, freshwater availability and preservation of global biodiversity, in addition to responsible management of our flocks, are vital to the production of high-quality eggs and egg products and to the success of the Company. We have engaged in agricultural production for more than 60 years. Our agricultural practices continue to evolve as we continue to strive to meet the need for nutritious, affordable foods to feed a growing population even as we exercise responsible natural resource stewardship and conservation. We published our most recent sustainability report for our fiscal 2024 in July 2025, which is available on our website. Information contained on our website is not a part of this report on Form 10-K. Our Corporate Information We maintain a website at www.calmainefoods.com where general information about our business and corporate governance matters is available. The information contained in our website is not a part of this report. Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements, and all amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act are available, free of charge, through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after we file them with, or furnish them to, the SEC. In addition, the SEC maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. is a Delaware corporation, incorporated in 1969. ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS Our business and results of operations are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. The following is a description of the known factors that may materially affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. They should be considered carefully, in addition to the information set forth elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including under Part II. Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, in making any investment decisions with respect to our securities. Additional risks or uncertainties that are not currently known to us, or that we are aware of but currently deem to be immaterial or that could apply to any company could also materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. INDUSTRY RISK FACTORS Market prices of wholesale shell eggs are volatile, and decreases in these prices can adversely impact our revenues and profits. Our operating results are significantly affected by wholesale shell egg market prices, which fluctuate widely and are outside our control. As a result, our prior performance should not be presumed to be an accurate indication of future performance. Under certain circumstances, small increases in production, or small decreases in demand, within the industry might have a large adverse effect on shell egg prices. Low shell egg prices adversely affect our revenues and profits. Market prices for wholesale shell eggs have been volatile and cyclical. Shell egg prices have risen in the past during periods of high demand such as the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and periods when high protein diets are popular. Shell egg prices have also risen during periods of constrained supply, such as during outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (“HPAI”). During times when prices are high, the egg industry has typically geared up to produce more eggs, primarily by 14 increasing the number of layers, which historically has ultimately resulted in an oversupply of eggs, leading to a period of lower prices. As discussed above in Part I. Item 1. Business – Seasonality , seasonal fluctuations impact shell egg prices. Therefore, comparisons of our sales and operating results between different quarters within a single fiscal year are not necessarily meaningful comparisons. A decline in consumer demand for shell eggs can negatively impact our business. We believe high-protein diet trends, industry advertising campaigns, the improved nutritional reputation of eggs and an increase in at-home consumption of eggs during the COVID-19 pandemic, have all contributed at one time or another to increased shell egg demand. However, it is possible that the demand for shell eggs will decline in the future. Adverse publicity relating to health or safety concerns and changes in the perception of the nutritional value of shell eggs, changes in consumer views regarding consumption of animal-based products, as well as movement away from high protein diets, could adversely affect demand for shell eggs, which could have a material adverse effect on our future results of operations and financial condition. Feed costs are volatile and increases in these costs can adversely impact our results of operations. Feed costs are the largest element of our shell egg (farm) production cost, ranging from 53% to 63% of total farm production cost in the last five fiscal years. Although feed ingredients, primarily corn and soybean meal, are available from a number of sources, we do not have control over the prices of the ingredients we purchase, which are affected by weather, various global and U.S. supply and demand factors, transportation and storage costs, speculators, agricultural, energy and trade policies in the U.S. and internationally, and global instability, including as a result of the war in Ukraine, the conflicts involving Israel and Iran and attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. For example, while feed costs declined during fiscal 2025, we saw higher prices for corn and soybean meal over the last five fiscal years as a result of weather-related shortfalls in production and yields, ongoing supply chain disruptions, and the Russia- Ukraine war and its impact on the export markets. Our costs for corn and soybean meal are also affected by local basis prices. Increases in feed costs unaccompanied by increases in the selling price of eggs can have a material adverse effect on the results of our operations and cash flow. Alternatively, low feed costs can encourage egg industry overproduction, possibly resulting in lower egg prices and lower revenue. Agricultural risks, including outbreaks of avian diseases such as HPAI, have harmed and in the future could harm our business. Our shell egg production activities are subject to a variety of agricultural risks. Unusual or extreme weather conditions, disease and pests can materially and adversely affect the quality and quantity of shell eggs we produce and distribute. Outbreaks of avian influenza among poultry occur periodically worldwide and have occurred sporadically in the U.S. Recent HPAI outbreaks in the U.S. caused significant depopulation of U.S. commercial table egg layer flocks, lower shell egg supplies and higher shell egg prices. During the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2024, we experienced HPAI outbreaks within our facilities located in Kansas and Texas, which are now fully operational. For additional information, refer to Part II. Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – HPAI . We maintain controls and procedures designed to reduce the risk of exposing our flocks and employees to harmful diseases; however, despite these efforts, outbreaks of avian diseases can and do still occur and have adversely impacted, and may in the future adversely impact, the health of our flocks and could in the future adversely impact the health of our employees. Continued or intensified spread of HPAI could have a material adverse impact on our financial results by increasing government restrictions on the sale and distribution of our products and requiring us to euthanize the affected layers. Negative publicity from outbreaks within our industry can negatively impact customer perception. If a substantial portion of our layers or production facilities are affected by any of these factors in any given quarter or year, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. Shell eggs and shell egg products are susceptible to microbial contamination, and we may be required to, or we may voluntarily, recall contaminated products. Shell eggs and shell egg products are vulnerable to contamination by pathogens such as Salmonella Enteritidis. The Company maintains policies and procedures designed to comply with the complex rules and regulations governing egg production, such as The Final Egg Rule issued by the FDA “Prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis in Shell Eggs During Production, Storage, and Transportation,” and the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act. Shipment of contaminated products, even if inadvertent, could 15 result in a violation of law and lead to increased risk of exposure to product liability claims, product recalls and scrutiny by federal and state regulatory agencies. We have little, if any, control over proper handling once the product has been shipped or delivered. In addition, products purchased from other producers could contain contaminants that might be inadvertently redistributed by us. This has occurred in the past and we were required to recall eggs redistributed to our customers. As such, we might decide or be required to recall a product if we, our customers or regulators believe it poses a potential health risk. Any product recall could result in a loss of consumer confidence in our products, adversely affect our reputation with existing and potential customers and have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. We currently maintain insurance with respect to certain of these risks, including product liability insurance, business interruption insurance, product recall insurance and general liability insurance, but in many cases such insurance is expensive, difficult to obtain and no assurance can be given that such insurance can be maintained in the future on acceptable terms, or in sufficient amounts to protect us against losses due to any such events, or at all. Our profitability may be adversely impacted by increases in other input costs such as packaging materials, delivery expenses, construction materials and equipment, including as a result of inflation and tariffs. In addition to feed ingredient costs, other significant input costs include costs of packaging materials and delivery expenses. Our costs of packing materials increased during the past three fiscal years due to inflation and higher labor costs, and during 2022 also as a result of supply chain constraints initially caused by the pandemic, and these costs may continue to increase. We also experienced increases in delivery expenses during fiscal 2023 and 2022 due to increases in fuel and labor costs for both our fleet and contract trucking, and these costs may continue to increase. Changes in U.S. trade and tariffs policies may cause higher costs for construction materials, equipment, packaging and other items. Increases in these costs are largely outside of our control and could have a material adverse effect on our profitability and cash flow. BUSINESS AND OPERATIONAL RISK FACTORS Our acquisition growth strategy subjects us to various risks. As discussed in Part I. Item I. Business – Growth Strategy , we plan to continue to pursue a growth strategy that includes, in part, selective acquisitions of other businesses engaged in the production and sale of shell eggs, with a priority on those that will facilitate our ability to expand our cage-free shell egg production capabilities in key locations and markets. We may over-estimate or under-estimate the demand for cage-free eggs, which could cause our acquisition strategy to be less-than-optimal for our future growth and profitability. The number of existing businesses with cage-free capacity that we may be able to purchase is limited, as most production of shell eggs by other companies in our markets currently does not meet customer demands or legal requirements to be designated as cage-free. Conversely, if we acquire cage-free production capacity, which is more expensive to purchase and operate, and customer demands or legal requirements for cage-free eggs were to change, the resulting lack of demand for cage-free eggs may result in higher costs and lower profitability. Acquisitions require capital resources and can divert management’s attention from our existing business. Acquisitions also entail an inherent risk that we could become subject to contingent or other liabilities, including liabilities arising from events or conduct prior to our acquisition of a business that were unknown to us at the time of acquisition. We could incur significantly greater expenditures in integrating an acquired business than we anticipated at the time of its purchase. We cannot assure you that we: ● will identify suitable acquisition candidates; ● can consummate acquisitions on acceptable terms; ● can successfully integrate an acquired business into our operations; or ● can successfully manage the operations of an acquired business. No assurance can be given that businesses we acquire in the future will contribute positively to our results of operations or financial condition. In addition, federal antitrust laws require regulatory approval of acquisitions that exceed certain threshold levels of significance, and we cannot guarantee that such approvals would be obtained. The consideration we pay in connection with any acquisition affects our financial results. If we pay cash, we could be required to use a portion of our available cash or credit facility to consummate the acquisition. To the extent we issue shares of our Common Stock, existing stockholders may be diluted. In addition, acquisitions may result in additional debt. Our ability to access any additional capital that may be needed for an acquisition may be adversely impacted by higher interest rates and economic uncertainty. 16 We may not realize the anticipated benefits of our acquisition of Echo Lake Foods and our strategy to diversify our product mix to include more prepared foods. As discussed elsewhere in this report, we completed our acquisition of Echo Lake Foods on June 2, 2025. Although we had already diversified our business with some prepared foods product offerings, the acquisition of Echo Lake Foods represented a significant expansion of this strategy. Accordingly, we may experience unexpected challenges in integrating and managing the business of Echo Lake Foods. Integrating Echo Lake Foods’ business may be more costly or time consuming than we expect. Even if the business of Echo Lake Foods is successfully integrated, we may not realize the benefits we expect from the acquisition, including the synergies, cost savings, reduction in earnings volatility, margin expansion, financial returns, expanded customer relationships, or sales or growth opportunities. Our experience managing prepared foods businesses is much more limited than our experience managing our shell egg and egg products businesses, and our strategy to diversity our product mix to include more prepared foods may not produce the favorable financial and other results that we anticipate. For additional information regarding our acquisition of Echo Lake Foods, see Part II. Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Acquisitions and