Zinger Key Points
- The bird flu outbreak is behind the current egg shortages and high prices look to continue with no relief in sight.
- Egg producers are reporting record profits during the ongoing bird flu outbreak, however.
As egg prices soar due to shortages caused by the bird flu, a new warning signal is flashing red: Waffle House has added a 50-cents-per-egg surcharge to its menu items.
What To Know: Waffle House is known for its emergency preparedness and ability to deliver 24-hour, 365-day service, even under extreme conditions. FEMA unofficially uses the "Waffle House Index" to inform disaster responses and when the Waffle House makes adjustments, it might be time to pay attention.
Waffle House pointed to the impact of ongoing egg shortages and rising prices caused by bird flu as the reason for its new 50 cent egg surcharge.
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"While we hope these price fluctuations will be short-lived we cannot predict how long this shortage will last," the company told Reuters.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the wholesale cost for a dozen eggs in the Midwest is $7.08, nearly seven times the price from two years ago. WholeFoods in New York City sells a dozen cage-free eggs for $11.99.
What Else: Eggs are so expensive that a $40,000 theft was reported over the weekend by Pete & Gerry's Organics in Antrim Township, Pennsylvania. About 100,000 organic eggs were reportedly taken from the back of a distribution trailer, according to a CBS News report.
The Pennsylvania State police are investigating but have not released any information on potential suspects or circumstances surrounding the theft.
Kalshi even has a betting market on egg prices that shows a 79% chance that egg prices will go up during President Donald Trump's first month in office.
What's Going On: The bird flu outbreak is behind the current egg shortages and high prices look to continue with no relief in sight. The USDA predicts egg prices will rise another 45% in 2025 due in large part to the bird flu ravaging commercial flocks.
Data from USDA shows that a record number of more than 20 million egg-laying chickens died in the last quarter due to bird flu. Last week the second-largest egg producer in the U.S., Rose Acre Farms confirmed its chickens had tested positive for bird flu, likely extending the period of high egg prices and shortages.
Stocks To Watch: Egg producers are reporting record profits during the ongoing bird flu outbreak, however.
Cal-Maine Foods Inc. CALM , the nation’s largest egg producer, recently blew estimates out of the water with quarterly revenue of $954.7 million, well above the $751.49 million analyst estimate.
Cal-Maine Foods stock has gained more than 90% over the past year.
Another stock to watch is Vital Farms, Inc. VITL, a smaller producer specializing in pasture-raised eggs. Telsey Advisory Group analyst Sarang Vora recently said he sees the company's sales growing at an annual growth rate of 19% to 20% and hitting the $1 billion mark in 2027.
Vital Farms stock is up nearly 150% over the past year.
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