CALM News & Events

The Justice Department's Antitrust Division, together with 17 State Attorneys General, filed a civil lawsuit against Cal-Maine Foods Inc.; Hickman's Egg Ranch Inc.; and Centrum Valley Holdings LLC, Versova Holdings LLC, and Versova Management Cooperative for unlawful coordinated manipulation of egg prices. At the same time, the Department filed proposed settlements that will, if approved by the court, prevent these companies from engaging in such coordinated manipulation in the future. "No product more quintessentially represents affordability than the price Americans pay for eggs," said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. "These actions prove this Department's continued commitment to protecting competition and providing real relief for everyday Americans' pocketbooks." Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, the complaint alleges that Cal-Maine, Hickman's, and Versova coordinated to artificially inflate the daily quotations of Urner Barry Publications, a market reporting company whose publications affect prices that grocery stores, restaurants, and others pay for eggs nationwide.

Catch up on the top industries and stocks that were impacted, or were predicted to be impacted, by the comments, actions and policies of President Donald Trump with this daily recap compiled by The Fly.U.S. BAN:The Trump administration is drafting an FCC rule that would ban imports of foreign-made power inverters used in solar and battery systems due to national security concerns that China could potentially exploit them to disrupt U.S. electricity infrastructure, Reuters' Alexandra Alper and Sarah Mcfarlane, citing sources. Publicly traded companies in the space include Array Technologies, Canadian Solar, Emeren, Enphase Energy, FTC Solar, First Solar, JinkoSolar, Maxeon Solar, Shoals Technologies, SolarEdge, SunPowerand Sunrun.CAROLINA WIND PROJECT:Under an agreement with the Interior Department, Duke Energywill voluntarily terminate its lease located off the coast of North Carolina in the Carolina Long Bay Area valued at $129M and invest the same amount in additional generating capacity, the agency announced, according to. The move is part of broader White House strategy to block new offshore wind developments, the report noted.TRUMP ACCOUNTS:In honor of America's 250th anniversary, Micronannounced a $250M investment to increase long-term savings opportunities for children and families through Trump Accounts. As part of this initiative, the company is launching an employee matching benefit for contributions up to $1,000 per child under 18. Additionally, Micron will provide a community benefit of a one-time $250 seed deposit for children with Trump Accounts where Micron operates in Idaho, New York, Virginia, California, Colorado, Minnesota and Texas.CLAIMS RESOLUTION:Cal-Maine Foodsannounced that it has reached an agreement to resolve the claims of the U.S. Department of Justice, or DOJ, and 17 states' attorneys general against the company, subject to applicable approvals and court procedures. The agreement follows a 15-month-long investigation by the DOJ that centered broadly on whether egg producers that had organized a cooperative to supply eggs to customers in compliance with cage-free requirements in certain markets were attempting to manipulate an industry price index by sharing information about bidding activities. Cal-Maine was a member of the cooperative, but exited in May 2024, prior to and unrelated to the initiation of the DOJ's investigation. Cal-Maine cooperated fully in the review process. The company denies all wrongdoing and violations of law and continues to believe that such claims are baseless and that its conduct was lawful, appropriate and in the best interest of supplying eggs to the marketplace.Cal-Maine further maintains that the company's communications cited in the complaint - which were made primarily by a single former employee - did not impact egg prices in any market. Under the terms of the agreement, Cal-Maine was not assessed any fines or penalties and has agreed to implement certain compliance and reporting measures. With respect to claims by the states' attorneys general, Cal-Maine agreed to donate 30M eggs, supplementing its contributions to food banks and non-profits across the country as part of the company's long-standing commitment to communities in need. In addition, Cal-Maine agreed to pay a total of $1.5M to such states to resolve this matter.

Cal-Maine Foods announced that it has reached an agreement to resolve the claims of the U.S. Department of Justice, or DOJ, and 17 states' attorneys general against the company, subject to applicable approvals and court procedures. The agreement follows a 15-month-long investigation by the DOJ that centered broadly on whether egg producers that had organized a cooperative to supply eggs to customers in compliance with cage-free requirements in certain markets were attempting to manipulate an industry price index by sharing information about bidding activities. Cal-Maine was a member of the cooperative, but exited in May 2024, prior to and unrelated to the initiation of the DOJ's investigation. Cal-Maine cooperated fully in the review process. The company denies all wrongdoing and violations of law and continues to believe that such claims are baseless and that its conduct was lawful, appropriate and in the best interest of supplying eggs to the marketplace. Cal-Maine further maintains that the company's communications cited in the complaint - which were made primarily by a single former employee - did not impact egg prices in any market. Under the terms of the agreement, Cal-Maine was not assessed any fines or penalties and has agreed to implement certain compliance and reporting measures. With respect to claims by the states' attorneys general, Cal-Maine agreed to donate 30M eggs, supplementing its contributions to food banks and non-profits across the country as part of the company's long-standing commitment to communities in need. In addition, Cal-Maine agreed to pay a total of $1.5M to such states to resolve this matter.

Cal-Maine Foods and Sara Lee Frozen Bakery announced Cal-Maine Foods' acquisition of certain assets of the Van's Foods business of Sara Lee Frozen Bakery, a Kohlberg portfolio company. The addition of Van's is expected to increase Cal-Maine Foods' prepared foods annual sales by approximately 10% and volume by about 6% on a pro forma basis. Following the acquisition, Van's will continue to operate under its existing brand identity, supported by Cal-Maine's integrated platform. This transaction further positions Cal-Maine Foods as a diversified, end-to-end food solutions provider, well-equipped to meet the needs of customers across channels and adapt to the evolving food landscape.