Smithfield Foods Warns Fresh Pork Unit to Swing to Operating Loss
Smithfield Foods expects lower adjusted operating profit, with Hog Production weighing results while its packaged-meats business stays in line. The downgrade is driven mainly by weaker Fresh Pork processing margins and lower hog prices as USDA pork cutout softens and the industry processing spread compresses. Fresh pork sales to restaurants rose 12% in Q2, pointing to channel shifts, not a full demand collapse. Smithfield also cut hog production, reducing hogs produced.