Domino's Pizza Shares Fall Despite Earnings Beat

Domino's Pizza Inc. (DPZ) shares fell 2.2% in premarket trading Monday after the pizza chain's mixed first-quarter results showed strength internationally but weakness in its domestic market.

Q1 Results Show Mixed Performance

Domino's reported first-quarter earnings of $4.33 per share, up 21% from $3.58 per share a year earlier and above the analyst estimate of $4.05. However, revenue rose just 2.5% to $1.11 billion, missing the projected $1.12 billion forecast. U.S. comparable sales declined 0.5%, compared to 5.6% growth in the year-ago quarter, while international same-store sales increased by 3.7%, significantly outperforming the 0.9% growth recorded in the previous year.

Earnings vs Estimates. Source: Bloomberg L.P.

Performance metrics showed weakness in domestic operations with company-owned stores experiencing a 1.5% drop in gross margin, primarily due to increased food-basket pricing. Domestic franchise comparable sales fell 0.4% against estimates of 0.36% growth, while company-owned stores saw a steeper 2.9% decline compared to the expected 0.35% decrease.

International Growth Offsets Domestic Weakness

The company's global retail sales increased 4.7% year-over-year to $4.46 billion, with international markets driving much of the growth despite challenges from foreign currency weakness. While U.S. operations struggled, Domino's international business showed resilience with comparable sales growth of 3.7%, substantially exceeding the estimated 1.88% increase.

"Sustained market share growth reflects a company's ability to control what is under its control, a key to long-term success," said CEO Russell Weiner in a statement. "In the face of a challenging global macroeconomic environment, our Hungry for MORE strategic pillars are working together to drive MORE sales, MORE stores and MORE profits, annually."

Domino’s Pizza (D1)

The stock is trading near a level that has acted as strong resistance over the past few months, often leading to trend reversals. Bears are likely to target a retest of the 30- and 50-day SMAs, while bulls will aim to break above the recent high at $499. The RSI continues to show bullish divergence, while the MACD is widening, supporting bullish momentum.