Meat stocks are publicly traded companies that produce meat products, such as beef, pork, and chicken. The average American consumes almost 225 pounds of meat each year, a little more than half a pound a day, and the second-highest rate globally.
Plus, worldwide meat consumption is rising. By 2050, global meat consumption could reach 570 million tons, double the 2008 level.
This forecast bodes well for food companies focused on producing meat to feed the masses. It's already a $1.4 trillion industry that should continue growing. Here's a closer look at the meat-focused food stocks investors should consider this year.
Five top meat stocks for 2026
Here's a snapshot of some of the biggest meat companies traded on major stock exchanges:
| Name and ticker | Market cap | Dividend yield | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smithfield Foods (NASDAQ:SFD) | $10.0 billion | 4.16% | Food Products |
| Beyond Meat (NASDAQ:BYND) | $409.6 million | 0.00% | Food Products |
| Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL) | $11.1 billion | 5.77% | Food Products |
| Pilgrim's Pride (NASDAQ:PPC) | $6.8 billion | 0.00% | Food Products |
| Tyson Foods (NYSE:TSN) | $23.3 billion | 2.99% | Food Products |
Here's a closer look at these meat-focused consumer staples stocks.
1. Smithfield Foods
NASDAQ: SFD
Key Data Points
2. Beyond Meat
NASDAQ: BYND
Key Data Points
Beyond Meat (BYND -1.71%) is a leader in plant-based meat substitutes. The company aims to disrupt the meat industry by shifting the planet from animal-based meat to plant-based proteins. Beyond Meat strives to create products that taste and texture like animal-based meats. It believes its products will improve the health of the population and the planet.
Beyond Meat has developed plant-based products for the foodservice and retail sectors to replace beef, pork, and chicken. The company sold more than 58.9 million pounds of products in 2025, generating almost $275.5 million in revenue, both down by more than 15% year over year.
The company's declining sales have strained its balance sheet and stock price. However, it continues to invest in innovative new products to gain a larger share of the global protein market. In early 2026, Beyond Meat launched new breakfast sausage links and patties.
Revenue
3. Hormel Foods
NYSE: HRL
Key Data Points
Hormel (HRL +0.10%) is a leading global branded food company. It has three operating segments:
- Retail: This category features the company's iconic retail brands, like Planters, SPAM, Skippy, Herdez, Jennie-O, and Hormel.
- Food service: This operating segment focuses on serving food service establishments with a portfolio of products in the pizza toppings and bacon categories.
- International: This operating category includes products that the company sells internationally, as well as its international investments.
Hormel has been slowly shifting from being a meat-centric company to a global branded food company. It generated $12.1 billion in revenue in fiscal 2025 (up 2%) from more than 40 global brands. The company also boasts an elite record of dividend growth. With 60 years of consecutive annual dividend increases, Hormel Foods is a Dividend King, a company with 50 or more years of increasing its dividend.
4. Pilgrim's Pride
NASDAQ: PPC
Key Data Points
Pilgrim's Pride (PPC +0.00%) is one of the world's largest poultry producers. The company operates protein processing plants and prepared food facilities worldwide. It primarily delivers its products to retailers and food service distributors.
Pilgrim's Pride also has a rapidly growing prepared foods business featuring branded, fully cooked products (Just Bare and Pilgrim's Chicken). The company's revenue rose 3.5% during 2025 to $18.5 billion.
Pilgrim's Pride is investing more than $500 million in the U.S. over the coming years to support growing demand, including $400 million to build a new prepared foods facility in Georgia.
5. Tyson Foods
NYSE: TSN
Key Data Points
Tyson Foods (TSN +0.57%) is one of the world's largest food companies. It's a leader in protein, with an estimated 20% share of U.S. protein consumption. The company's segments include prepared foods, beef, pork, chicken, and international/other. It has an extensive portfolio of products and brands, including Tyson, Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, Ball Park, Wright, Aidells, IBP, and State Fair.
Tyson has also expanded into plant-based products in recent years. Its Raised & Rooted brand features a growing lineup of alternative plant-based protein products. It also invested in the insect ingredients company Protix to support the growth of sustainable insect-based proteins.
Tyson's sales rose 2.1% in its 2025 fiscal year to $54.4 billion, while its adjusted operating income surged 26% to $2.3 billion. The company is investing $700 million to $1 billion in 2026 on profitability improvement projects as well as maintenance and repair projects at existing facilities.
How to invest in meat stocks
Here's a step-by-step guide on investing in meat stocks:
- Open your brokerage app: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments.
- Search for the stock: Enter the ticker or company name into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.
- Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
- Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.
- Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
- Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.
Benefits and risks of investing in meat stocks
Some of the benefits of investing in meat stocks include:
- Capitalizing on the growing demand for protein.
- The potential to earn passive dividend income.
- A potential way to hedge food inflation.
On the other hand, some risks of investing in meat stocks are:
- Dwindling pure play investment opportunities due to consolidation and privatizations in the sector.
- The uncertain impact of alternatives such as plant-based protein and lab-grown meats.
- The potential for underperformance due to cost pressures, debt issues, and other factors.
Should you invest in meat stocks?
Demand for meat is growing, which should enable meat-focused producers (and producers of alternative plant-based products) to expand their revenue and profits in the coming years. Investors have several tasty options if they want to invest directly in the long-term growth potential of the global meat market.
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FAQ
FAQ on meat stocks
About the Author
Matt DiLallo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Beyond Meat. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
