Stock falls on weak sales
A pedestrian walks past Domino’s Pizza on December 9, 2025 in San Francisco, California.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
Domino’s Pizza The stock fell more than 8% on Monday after reporting that U.S. same-store sales growth was weaker than expected.
The chain’s domestic same-store sales rose just 0.9%, according to StreetAccount estimates, below the 2.3% increase Wall Street analysts expected.
“We’re not happy about it,” CEO Russell Weiner told CNBC.
The pizza chain also lowered its full-year U.S. same-store sales forecast to low-single-digit growth from its previous forecast for U.S. same-store sales to rise 3%.
Weiner said he expects more fast-food chains to report similar negatives due to weak consumer confidence, which fell in March due to winter weather conditions and a rise in fuel prices caused by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
“One of the downsides of reporting first is that you don’t learn anything about anyone else,” Weiner said.
Domino’s has opened earnings season for restaurant chains. Starbucks will be on deck after the bell on Tuesday and Chipotle Mexican Grill and owner of Pizza Hut Yum Brands They are expected to share the results on Wednesday. Rival Papa John’s It will announce its earnings next Thursday.
This quarter, Domino’s faced even stiffer competition from rival pizza chains. Papa John’s and Pizza Hut matched Domino’s’ $9.99 “Best Deal Ever” promotions with promotions at the same price point. And Little Caesars has dropped Domino’s $6.99 Mix & Match deal with a $5.99 version.
“People see what we’re doing and they’re tired of losing share, and they’re getting closer to that,” Weiner said, adding that despite the new promotions, he still expects Papa John’s and Pizza Hut to report declines in same-store sales for the quarter.
Looking forward, Weiner expressed confidence that Domino’s will prove itself in the long term.
“Domino’s has a larger advertising budget than our second two competitors combined,” he said. “And both of those competitors are going up for sale, so we know things are not good there right now.”
Yum announced in November that it was exploring strategic options for Pizza Hut, which could include a sale. And Papa John’s reportedly in talks It will be privatized with Qatar-backed Irth Capital. Both chains have announced plans to close hundreds of restaurants this year; This could further strengthen Domino’s dominant position in the pizza category.
Weiner said that if Pizza Hut or Papa John’s go private, he expects the new owner to close more locations; This is a win for Domino’s.
Domino’s shares have lost nearly a third of their value in the past year. The company’s market value dropped to approximately $11.2 billion.
