South Dakota Investment Council Has $4.11 Million Stock Holdings in Pilgrim’s Pride Co. (NASDAQ:PPC)

South Dakota Investment Council trimmed its stake in shares of Pilgrim’s Pride Co. (NASDAQ:PPC) by 31.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 90,519 shares of the company’s stock after selling 42,366 shares during the quarter. South Dakota Investment Council’s holdings in Pilgrim’s Pride were worth $4,109,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in PPC. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Pilgrim’s Pride during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Quarry LP increased its position in Pilgrim’s Pride by 295.8% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 946 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 707 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in Pilgrim’s Pride during the 4th quarter worth approximately $59,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in Pilgrim’s Pride during the 4th quarter worth approximately $118,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Pilgrim’s Pride by 31.9% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,688 shares of the company’s stock worth $122,000 after acquiring an additional 650 shares during the last quarter. 16.64% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Pilgrim’s Pride Trading Up 2.5 %

NASDAQ:PPC opened at $53.13 on Monday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $47.80 and its 200-day moving average is $47.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a current ratio of 2.01. Pilgrim’s Pride Co. has a 52 week low of $28.49 and a 52 week high of $57.16. The firm has a market cap of $12.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.65 and a beta of 0.82.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on PPC. StockNews.com raised shares of Pilgrim’s Pride from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Pilgrim’s Pride from $45.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Pilgrim’s Pride from $42.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $45.50.

Pilgrim’s Pride Profile

Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. engages in the production, processing, marketing, and distribution of fresh, frozen and value-added chicken and pork products to retailers, distributors, and foodservice operators. It operates through the following segments: U.S., U.K. and Europe, and Mexico. The company was founded by Lonnie A.