Dole PLC (NYSE:DOLE) Short Interest Update

Dole PLC (NYSE:DOLE) saw a significant growth in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 1,723,052 shares, a growth of 13.3% from the March 31st total of 1,521,345 shares. Currently, 3.1% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 665,430 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.6 days.

Dole Stock Performance

Shares of DOLE stock opened at $15.12 on Friday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $14.97 and its 200-day simple moving average is $14.71. The company has a market cap of $1.44 billion, a PE ratio of 28.54, a PEG ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. Dole has a 12-month low of $12.52 and a 12-month high of $16.57.

Dole (NYSE:DOLE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.12 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $2.37 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.32 billion. Dole had a return on equity of 7.81% and a net margin of 0.56%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.16 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Dole will post 1.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Dole Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 8th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 18th were given a $0.085 dividend. This represents a $0.34 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 18th. Dole’s dividend payout ratio is presently 64.15%.

Trending Headlines about Dole

Here are the key news stories impacting Dole this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Dole’s consumer/industry outlook — coverage notes Dole’s pineapple business marking 125 years as global demand climbs, reinforcing strong category demand and brand positioning that supports revenue growth. Dole’s pineapple empire turns 125
• Neutral Sentiment: Philippine Labor Day pay rules/guidance — multiple posts summarize Department of Labor guidance on pay for employees working on Labor Day; this is administrative but could modestly affect one-off payroll timing/costs for local operations. DOLE releases payment guidelines
• Neutral Sentiment: Related Labor Day pay rules reporting — another outlet reiterates pay rules for the holiday (duplicate coverage of guidance; same limited corporate impact). DOLE issues pay rules for Labor Day
• Neutral Sentiment: Livelihood aid and job fairs — reports on P260M livelihoods aid and regional Labor Day job fairs (Bulacan) signal government support for employment, which may modestly improve local labor markets and hiring pipelines. DOLE rolls out P260M livelihood aid
• Neutral Sentiment: Workforce development focus — the government’s UPLIFT program focusing on transport and agri could support skills and labor supply in agriculture over time, a mild potential positive for agri employers. DoLE says UPLIFT role focused on transport, agri
• Negative Sentiment: Potential higher Philippine minimum wages — reports that a decision on a proposed ₱1,200 daily NCR minimum wage may come in July and officials saying a ₱600 hike isn’t impossible signal rising wage risk. If enacted or expanded, higher labor costs could pressure Dole PLC’s margins in Philippines operations. Decision on P1,200 NCR minimum wage may come in July
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing wage discussions — additional coverage of calls for a ₱600 NCR minimum-wage increase underscores policy momentum; investors should monitor developments and timing for potential cost impact on local operations. Dole on calls for P600 minimum wage hike
• Neutral Sentiment: Report on past wage-cycle beneficiaries — note that 4.7M minimum-wage earners benefited from the last cycle; useful context for the policy environment but not a direct corporate action. 4.7M minimum wage earners benefit

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Dole from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen downgraded Dole from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 7th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $15.00 price target (down from $18.00) on shares of Dole in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Dole currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $15.50.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Dole

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in DOLE. Signaturefd LLC increased its position in shares of Dole by 190.2% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,680 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 1,101 shares during the period. Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 1,004 shares during the period. Westfuller Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Dole in the 3rd quarter valued at $49,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue acquired a new position in shares of Dole in the 3rd quarter valued at $50,000. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Dole by 269.0% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,716 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 2,709 shares during the period.

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.