{"id":6065,"date":"2026-07-01T05:01:44","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T05:01:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=6065"},"modified":"2026-07-01T05:01:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T05:01:44","slug":"5-companies-conspired-to-drive-up-egg-prices-justice-dept-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=6065","title":{"rendered":"5 companies conspired to drive up egg prices, Justice Dept. says"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Boxes of eggs are seen at a Walmart supermarket in Houston, Texas, on May 15, 2025. (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT \/ AFP) (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>

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A newly announced proposed settlement aims to deter companies from manipulating the prices of eggs and prevent Americans from having to pay inflated prices for one of the most important staples in many kitchens.<\/p>

What they’re saying:<\/p>

“No product more quintessentially represents affordability than the price Americans pay for eggs,” Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said. “These actions prove this Department\u2019s continued commitment to protecting competition and providing real relief for everyday Americans\u2019 pocketbooks.”<\/p>

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Big picture view:<\/p>

A lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice and 17 state attorneys general accuses five companies of working together to drive up the daily price quotes of Urner Barry Publications, a market reporting company that prosecutors note affects prices that grocery stores, restaurants, and others have to pay for eggs across the country.\u00a0<\/p>

By the numbers:<\/p>

Twice in recent years the price of eggs spiked sharply. In January 2022, egg prices started a sharp, year-long upward climb, going from less than two dollars per dozen in U.S. cities to $4.82 per dozen by the following January, according to numbers provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.\u00a0<\/p>

That climb was nothing compared to two years later. From that then-record January 2023 high, egg prices plunged throughout the year, bottoming out at $2.04 per dozen by August. That was when they started spiking again. By March 2025, urban Americans were shelling out $6.22 per dozen.<\/p>

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