About Dole plc
Dole plc engages in sourcing, processing, marketing, and distribution of fresh fruit and vegetables worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Fresh Fruit; Diversified Fresh Produce - EMEA; Diversified Fresh Produce - Americas and ROW; and Fresh Vegetables. It offers bananas, pineapples grapes, berries, avocados, deciduous fruit, and organic produce; value added salads, which includes packaged salad and meal kits; and fresh packed vegetables, such as iceberg, romaine, leaf lettuces, and celery, as well as health foods and consumer goods.
The company serves retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice customers. Dole plc is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.
DOLE operates in the Agriculture, Forestry, And Fishing | Agriculture | approximately 38,500 employees | led by CEO Rory P. Byrne.
Updated February 16, 2026
Dole plc earns a Buy rating from our quantitative model with a composite score of 74/100, ranking #15 among 7,333 U.S. stocks. The model sees a stock with an above-average factor profile — not without risks, but with enough quantitative support to warrant a constructive outlook.
The strongest dimension is value at 93/100, which places DOLE in the top 7 percent of all stocks on this measure. investment efficiency at 85/100 provides secondary support. No single factor falls below the average threshold, which is a constructive sign.
Within the Agriculture, Forestry, And Fishing sector, DOLE ranks 1st out of 17 peers, placing it in the 94th percentile. At $1.3 billion, the company is a small-cap stock with higher potential but also higher risk.
Six-Factor Scorecard
Our model evaluates every U.S. stock across six independently measured dimensions. Each score represents a percentile rank — a score of 80 means the stock ranks higher than 80 percent of all companies on that factor.
Key Financial Metrics
Quality Analysis
Dole plc's quality score of 84/100 places it among the top profitability performers in the market. The quality factor evaluates margins, return on equity, return on assets, and earnings consistency — the fundamental building blocks of a durable business.
Return on equity of 10.0% exceeds the sector median of -2.5%. Gross margins of 8.5% suggest a commodity-like business with thin pricing power. Operating margins of 3.3% sit above the -1.0% sector average.
Net margins of 1.7% are positive but thin, leaving limited margin for error.
Valuation Assessment
A value score of 93/100 puts DOLE in the top 7 percent of all stocks on cheapness — suggesting the market is significantly underpricing the company's fundamentals. Key valuation metrics include a P/E ratio of 10.2x, an EV/EBITDA of 4.7x, a price-to-book of 1.0x, a price-to-sales of 0.1x. Deep value scores like this historically correlate with above-average forward returns, though they can also reflect legitimate concerns about business quality that the value factor does not capture.
Momentum & Timing
A momentum score of 67/100 shows DOLE is trending above average, with its stock price outperforming the majority of the market. This is not explosive, meme-stock-style momentum — it is the gradual, fundamental-driven kind that tends to persist.
Revenue growth of 2.8% provides a moderate fundamental underpinning. A beta of 0.39 means Dole plc moves with less volatility than the market, which can be attractive for risk-conscious investors.
Our entry timing model currently signals Neutral, which warrants caution despite the price trend.
Risk Factors
No investment comes without risks, and honest analysis requires flagging them clearly:
- Thin margins. Operating margins of 3.3% leave little room for error. A modest revenue shortfall or cost increase could push the company into unprofitability.
- Model limitations. Quantitative models measure what is measurable — financial ratios, price trends, leverage — but cannot capture qualitative factors like management quality, competitive positioning, or pending litigation. This analysis should be supplemented with fundamental due diligence.
- Market regime risk. Factor-based strategies perform differently across market regimes. The current factor exposures that support Dole plc's rating may become headwinds if the macro environment shifts — for example, if interest rates move sharply or if sector rotation accelerates.
Bottom Line
Dole plc earns a Buy rating with a composite score of 74/100 and 4 out of 5 stars, ranking #15 among 7,333 stocks. The factor profile is constructive — not without blemishes, but with enough quantitative support to position DOLE above the majority of the market.
Explore the full DOLE analysis page for interactive factor breakdowns, or view the complete stock rankings.
Disclaimer: This article is generated by Blank Capital Research's quantitative model and is provided for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Always conduct your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.