Domino’s Pizza(US:DPZ) Benzinga·2025-10-14 12:45Core Viewpoint - Domino's Pizza Inc reported strong third-quarter earnings, exceeding analyst expectations in both earnings per share and sales figures, driven by increased supply chain revenues and franchise royalties [1][3]. Financial Performance - The company achieved third-quarter earnings per share of $4.08, surpassing the consensus estimate of $3.96 [1]. - Quarterly sales reached $1.147 billion, reflecting a 6.2% year-over-year increase, which also exceeded the expected $1.137 billion [1]. - Global retail sales grew by 6.3% excluding foreign currency effects, with U.S. same-store sales increasing by 5.2% [3]. - U.S. store sales rose 7% year over year to $2.320 billion, while international store sales grew 5.7% year over year to $2.375 billion [3]. Operational Metrics - Income from operations increased to $223.2 million, marking a 12.2% year-over-year rise from $198.8 million [3]. - Gross margin expanded to 40.1% from 39.2% in the previous year, although U.S. company-owned store gross margin slightly contracted to 16.3% from 16.8% [4]. Store Expansion - The company added a net total of 214 stores globally, with 29 openings in the U.S. and 185 internationally [2]. Cash Flow and Debt Management - Domino's reported free cash flow of $495.6 million for the first three fiscal quarters of 2025, up from $376.1 million in the same period of 2024 [5]. - The company ended the quarter with cash and equivalents totaling $139.728 million [5]. - Long-term debt increased to $4.810 billion from $3.825 billion a year ago [7]. Dividend and Financing - A quarterly dividend of $1.74 per share was declared, payable on December 26 to shareholders of record as of December 15 [6]. - The company completed a $1.0 billion refinancing, issuing $500 million in five-year and $500 million in seven-year senior secured notes [6][7].