# Dole plc (DOLE) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. NYSE, United States. Sector: Consumer Defensive. Price $14.01, market value $1.3 billion.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 18.9×** (5-yr avg 14.2×, 3-yr avg 15.7×). Dole plc trades at 18.9× trailing earnings, well above its own five-year average of 14.2×: investors are paying up relative to the company's past. The Consumer Defensive median in the September 2026 study was 20.1×. Forward P/E is 9.5×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **Price / sales: 0.1×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 0.1×, a low multiple typical of thin-margin businesses or out-of-favour stocks.
- **Price / book: 1.0×**. The shares trade below book value, which can signal a bargain or a balance sheet the market doubts.
- **EV / EBITDA: 4.9×**. Enterprise value is 4.9× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed; below 8× is inexpensive for most sectors.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: -13.9%** (5-yr avg 9.5%). Free cash flow is negative: the business is consuming cash, which is normal for heavy investment phases but a warning otherwise.
- **Earnings yield: 5.3%**. The inverse of the P/E: 5.3% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Gross margin: 8.3%**. Dole plc keeps 8.3% of revenue after the direct cost of what it sells, a thin margin typical of retail, distribution and commodity businesses.
- **Operating margin: 3.0%**. 3.0% of revenue is left after running the business, which leaves little cushion in a downturn.
- **Net margin: 0.6%**. 0.6% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 3.8%**. 3.8% on shareholders' equity is weak; the business earns little on the capital its owners have in it.
- **Return on invested capital: 11.3%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 11.3%.
- **Return on assets: 2.4%**. Each dollar of assets produces 2.4% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): 8.2%** (3-yr 4.6%/yr, 5-yr 16.1%/yr). Revenue grew 8.2% over the last year, against 16.1% a year compounded over five years: growth is slowing.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): -59.8%** (3-yr -16.5%/yr, 5-yr -10.8%/yr). Earnings per share fell 59.8%, slower than revenue, so margins compressed.
- **Free-cash-flow growth (3 yr): -77.7%/yr**. Free cash flow has compounded at -77.7% a year over three years, lagging earnings: check whether profits are turning into cash.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 0.63**. Debt is 0.63 times equity, moderate leverage.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: 1.5×**. It would take 1.5 years of operating earnings to repay net borrowings, within the comfortable range.
- **Altman Z-score: 2.96**. A Z-score of 2.96 is in the grey zone; not distressed, not clearly safe.
- **Piotroski F-score: 5/9**. 5 of 9 checks pass: mixed.

## Dividends
- **Dividend yield: 2.43%** ($0.34 per share, trailing). Dole plc yields 2.43%, a modest yield more typical of a growth-oriented payer.
- **Payout ratio: 62%**. 62% of earnings goes out as dividends, leaving room to keep raising it.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: buy** (4 analysts). 4 analysts cover Dole plc; the consensus is buy, with an average price target of $17.44 (+24% from the current price). Analyst opinion is shown for context; it is not part of the Fundamental Score.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): 5.8%** (YTD -5.4%, 3-mo 0.6%). The shares are up 5.8% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -15.4%** (11.9% above the low). Trading 15% below its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: below**. The price sits below its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of a downtrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 58**. An RSI of 58 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): 0.03** (volatility 24%). Beta of 0.03 against the S&P 500: the shares move much less than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=DOLE · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/dole

Not investment advice.