Dole (NYSE:DOLE) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.02 EPS

Dole (NYSE:DOLE) posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported $0.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.12 by $0.02, FiscalAI reports. Dole had a return on equity of 7.81% and a net margin of 0.56%.The firm had revenue of $2.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.32 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.16 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis.

Here are the key takeaways from Dole’s conference call:

• We delivered Adjusted EBITDA of $395 million in 2025, beating guidance, and are targeting at least $400 million for 2026.
• Management completed strategic portfolio moves — the sale of the Fresh Vegetables business for $140 million and an expected ~ $75 million net proceed sale of the Guayaquil port — and renewed a $1.2 billion credit facility while launching a $100 million buyback program (S$4.5m spent to date), giving the company greater capital allocation flexibility.
• Fresh Fruit profitability was pressured by higher sourcing costs for bananas, pineapples and plantains and weather disruption (notably Tropical Storm Sara), though Honduran farm rehabilitation is underway with full recovery expected later in 2026.
• The Diversified Fresh Produce segments were strong — EMEA delivered $150 million Adjusted EBITDA (+14% YoY) and Diversified Americas drove double-digit growth (Q4 Adjusted EBITDA up 32%, full-year up 21%) led by kiwis, citrus and export volumes like cherries.
• Financials show improving leverage (net debt ~1.5x), expected 2026 interest expense of ~ $60 million, routine CapEx guidance of ~ $100 million, and longer-term free cash flow conversion guidance of 30–35% despite 2025 one-offs that reduced reported FCF.

Dole Stock Performance

DOLE stock traded up $0.07 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $15.78. 48,399 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 687,771. Dole has a 1-year low of $12.52 and a 1-year high of $16.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 0.90. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $15.34 and its 200-day simple moving average is $14.36. The firm has a market cap of $1.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.76, a PEG ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.64.

Dole Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 8th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 18th will be given a dividend of $0.085 per share. This represents a $0.34 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 18th. Dole’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 64.15%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in DOLE. Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its stake in Dole by 120.8% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 1,835 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 1,004 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Dole by 269.0% during the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,716 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 2,709 shares during the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Dole during the fourth quarter worth $58,000. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its position in shares of Dole by 22.8% in the fourth quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 5,087 shares of the company’s stock valued at $76,000 after buying an additional 943 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LPL Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Dole in the fourth quarter worth about $176,000.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on DOLE. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Dole in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Dole from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $16.00.

Dole declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Monday, November 10th that permits the company to buyback $100.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to repurchase up to 8.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Dole Company Profile

Dole plc is a global producer, marketer and distributor of fresh fruits and vegetables. The company’s product range includes bananas, pineapples, berries, grapes, salads and a variety of other fresh and packaged produce, sold under the Dole brand and through private-label arrangements. Dole’s operations span the full fresh-produce value chain, from farming and sourcing to packing, ripening, cold?chain logistics and wholesale and retail distribution, supporting both retail grocery and foodservice customers.

The company traces its commercial heritage to the early 20th century Hawaiian pineapple business founded by James Dole and has evolved through subsequent corporate restructurings and combinations.