Darling Ingredients (DAR) vs Pilgrim's Pride (PPC)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 7, 2026.
Summary
Darling Ingredients (DAR) has outperformed Pilgrim's Pride (PPC) over the past year, gaining 94.9% versus a loss of 27.1%. Over five years, PPC leads with a -3.2% price change compared with -19.2% for DAR. Darling Ingredients is the larger company by market cap ($9.47 billion vs $6.70 billion), about 1.4 times the size.
On valuation, Darling Ingredients trades at a lower forward P/E (9.6x vs 10.2x for Pilgrim's Pride). Pilgrim's Pride converts more of its revenue into profit, with a net margin of 5.9% versus 1.0%.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | DAR | PPC |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $60.02 | $28.12 |
| Market cap | $9.47B | $6.70B |
| 1-day change | -1.88% | +0.82% |
| YTD return | +67.49% | -27.88% |
| 1-year return | +94.95% | -27.07% |
| 5-year return | -19.18% | -3.20% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 16.18 | 12.28 |
| Forward P/E | 9.56 | 10.24 |
| EPS (TTM) | $3.71 | $2.29 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $6.14B | $18.50B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +7.36% | +3.46% |
| Net income (latest FY) | $62.80M | $1.08B |
| Gross margin | 24.01% | 12.75% |
| Operating margin | 4.46% | 8.72% |
| Net margin | 1.02% | 5.85% |
| 52-week high | $69.98 | $44.84 |
| 52-week low | $29.15 | $25.00 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -14.23% | -37.29% |
| Analyst consensus | strong_buy | none |
| Avg. price target upside | +35.92% | +18.39% |
| Average volume | 2.35M | 1.56M |
| Shares outstanding | 157.80M | 238.11M |
| Employees | 15,000 | 63,000 |
| Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Staples |
| Industry | Packaged Foods | Meat/Poultry/Fish |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- DAR has outperformed PPC by 122.0 percentage points over the past year.
- Darling Ingredients trades at a higher earnings multiple (16.2x vs 12.3x trailing P/E).
About Darling Ingredients
DAR stock →Darling Ingredients Inc. develops, produces, and sells sustainable natural ingredients from edible and inedible bio-nutrients in North America, Europe, China, South America, and internationally.
Consumer Staples · Packaged Foods · 15,000 employees
About Pilgrim's Pride
PPC stock →Pilgrim's Pride Corporation produces, processes, markets, and distributes fresh, frozen, and value-added chicken and pork products to retailers, distributors, and foodservice operators in the United States, Europe, and Mexico. The company offers fresh products, including refrigerated whole or cut-up chicken, selected chicken parts that are either marinated or non-marinated, primary pork cuts, added value pork, pork ribs, and lamb products; and prepared products, which include fully cooked, ready-to-cook and individually frozen chicken parts, strips, nuggets and patties, processed sausages, bacon, smoked meat, gammon joints, pre-packed meats, sandwich and deli counter meats, and meat balls and coated foods.
Consumer Staples · Meat/Poultry/Fish · 63,000 employees
DAR vs PPC FAQ
Which is bigger, Darling Ingredients or Pilgrim's Pride?
Darling Ingredients (DAR) is larger, with a market capitalization of $9.47B compared with $6.70B for Pilgrim's Pride (PPC).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, DAR or PPC?
DAR returned +94.95% over the past 12 months, compared with -27.07% for PPC (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, DAR or PPC?
PPC has the lower trailing P/E at 12.3, versus 16.2 for DAR. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Are Darling Ingredients and Pilgrim's Pride in the same industry?
Both are in the Consumer Staples sector, but in different industries: Packaged Foods for Darling Ingredients and Meat/Poultry/Fish for Pilgrim's Pride.