JBS' (JBS) proposal to acquire an 18% stake in Pilgrim's Pride (PPC) it does not already own is seen as slightly positive for the company given the potential to optimize its corporate structure, UBS Securities said in a note emailed Wednesday.
According to the note, the acquisition comes at a challenging point in the US poultry cycle, which has pressured Pilgrim's Pride's stock performance, with shares at a two-year low. While there is a path for margin recovery from current levels, the brokerage expects this to be gradual and thus sees near-term stock pressure, the note said.
However, UBS sees room for JBS to continue to re-rate given its US listing.
UBS kept a buy rating on JBS with a price target of $17.
Shares of JBS rose more than 2% in Wednesday trading.
Price: $14.04, Change: $+0.38, Percent Change: +2.75%