Pilgrim’s Pride Corp’s new bond: a cow in chicken’s clothing

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Pilgrim’s Pride Corp (PPC), majority-owned by JBS, is running investor meetings for a EUR500mn 7-year bond - its first, and JBS’ first, in the EUR-denominated market. The timing is notable: JBS has just launched a new bid to take PPC private. If successful, this delisting could reduce transparency, allow debt to be reassigned without bondholder consent, and expose ESG-oriented investors directly to JBS’ sustainability challenges.

PPC’s existing SLB targets Scope 1+2 emissions intensity, and the company appears to have already met its 2030 target. But Scope 3 represents 92% of PPC’s total reported emissions, and land-use change from its soy supply chain is excluded from reporting entirely. Both PPC and JBS have recently dropped their net-zero 2040 targets.

If the takeover completes, the implications for bondholders could be material. PPC currently scores significantly higher than JBS on S&P’s ESG Rank, and its unrated status on MSCI may allow inclusion in indices that exclude JBS outright. Consolidation could trigger exclusion from data-driven mandates and ESG indices, reducing investor demand for the bonds.

A substitution clause in existing PPC bond documentation suggests JBS could be substituted as issuer without bondholder consent. European investors in the new bond should scrutinise whether equivalent language appears in the upcoming prospectus.