DPZ (Domino's Pizza) operates in the quick-service restaurant industry, not wholesale groceries.
It is the world's leading pizza delivery company, renowned for its efficient delivery system, vast global footprint, and technology-driven ordering platform.
Updated: February 19, 2026, 16:00 EST
Technical Analysis DPZ is in a clear downtrend, trading near its 52-week low and significantly underperforming the broader market. While this oversold condition suggests limited near-term downside, the persistent negative momentum reflects weak investor sentiment. The stock's high beta indicates it remains susceptible to sharp moves, requiring caution.
Fundamentals The company maintains stable revenues and impressive profitability with strong margins, demonstrating effective cost management. However, a high debt load and negative ROE are concerning, though solid liquidity and interest coverage mitigate immediate financial risk. Operational efficiency is mixed, with excellent working capital management offset by only moderate asset utilization.
Valuation & Risk DPZ appears significantly overvalued, with premium multiples like its high forward P/E and extremely elevated EV/EBITDA suggesting inflated expectations. The stock carries moderate volatility risk due to its beta and historical drawdowns, though low short interest indicates a lack of strong negative speculation. Sensitivity to consumer spending and inflation remain ongoing headwinds.
Buy Recommendation Despite DPZ's strong brand and profitability, its current technical weakness and significant overvaluation present substantial headwinds. Investors should wait for either a more attractive valuation entry point or clear signs of a technical reversal before considering a position. The stock's high debt and premium pricing necessitate patience for a better risk-reward setup.
Based on the comprehensive analysis provided, here is a 12-month outlook for Domino's Pizza (DPZ):
The primary catalysts for a potential rebound hinge on the company's strong brand and proven profitability translating into improved investor sentiment, likely requiring a technical reversal and a demonstration of sustained operational strength that justifies its valuation. Key risks include the stock's significant overvaluation and high debt load, which could lead to further downside if consumer spending weakens or if the company fails to meet inflated earnings expectations. Given the absence of a specific analyst target, a cautious approach is warranted; a target range closer to historical valuation averages would be more appropriate than the current premium, suggesting limited upside until these headwinds are resolved. Investors should await a clearer improvement in both the technical picture and fundamental risk-reward profile.
Most Wall Street analysts are optimistic about Domino's Pizza, Inc.'s 12-month outlook, with consensus target around $385.13, indicating expected upside potential.
Overall, DPZ has investment potential but also faces challenges. Here are key factors to weigh before investing.
Overall Assessment: DPZ has demonstrated notable underperformance with a consistent downward trend over recent periods, declining approximately 5% over both one and three-month horizons while notably trailing the broader market by nearly 6%.
Short-term Performance: The stock's negative momentum persists across both one-month (-4.74%) and three-month (-5.56%) timeframes, with its significant underperformance versus the market (-5.83% relative strength) indicating weakening investor confidence despite its higher beta suggesting potential for sharper moves.
Current Position: Trading near $381.3 places DPZ just 2.9% above its 52-week low of $370.7, positioning it in deeply oversold territory relative to its $500.55 high, though its proximity to the lower bound may suggest limited downside risk absent new negative catalysts.
| Period | DPZ Return | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 1m | -0.7% | +1.0% |
| 3m | -5.8% | +1.9% |
| 6m | -12.7% | +6.5% |
| 1y | -18.4% | +12.1% |
| ytd | -9.4% | +0.2% |
Revenue & Profitability: Domino's demonstrates stable revenue performance with minimal sequential growth from Q2 to Q3 2025. The company maintains healthy profitability metrics, with a gross profit margin of 40.1% and net profit margin expanding to 12.1% in Q3. Strong operating income margins near 19.5% indicate effective cost control despite inflationary pressures.
Financial Health: DPZ shows concerning leverage with a debt ratio of 3.07 and negative debt-to-equity ratio, suggesting significant debt burden relative to equity. However, the company maintains adequate liquidity with current and quick ratios above 1.4, and interest coverage of 5.0x provides some comfort regarding debt servicing capacity.
Operational Efficiency: The company exhibits mixed operational metrics with a negative return on equity but strong return on capital employed at 19.9%. DPZ demonstrates efficient working capital management with a cash conversion cycle of 16.3 days, supported by high inventory turnover of 9.7x, though asset turnover of 0.69 suggests moderate utilization of the asset base.
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Try Now & Get Tesla Stock RewardBased on the provided metrics, DPZ appears to be significantly overvalued. The forward P/E of 28.4 is high for a mature company and suggests the market has priced in substantial future earnings growth. This overvaluation is further confirmed by an exceptionally high PEG ratio of 4.03, which indicates investors are paying a substantial premium for its growth prospects, and a negative Price-to-Book ratio, complicating asset-based valuation.
A direct peer comparison is not possible due to the unavailability of industry average data. However, the metrics themselves paint a clear picture of a premium valuation. The extremely high EV/EBITDA of 84.07 is a major red flag, signaling that the company's enterprise value is exceptionally high relative to its core operational earnings, which is typically unsustainable.
Volatility Risk: DPZ exhibits moderately elevated volatility risk, as evidenced by a beta of 1.167, indicating it tends to move more than the broader market. This is coupled with a significant 1-year maximum drawdown of -24.93%, underscoring a material potential for price depreciation during market downturns. Investors should be prepared for above-average price swings.
Other Risks: The notable absence of short interest suggests minimal active speculative pressure betting on a price decline, which is generally a positive signal. However, this does not preclude other fundamental risks, such as sensitivity to consumer discretionary spending or inflationary pressures on input costs, which remain key considerations.
Opinion: Neutral, with cautious near-term considerations.
Reasons: 1. Valuation Concern: The stock appears significantly overvalued with a high forward P/E (28.4) and an exceptionally high EV/EBITDA (84.07), suggesting limited margin of safety. 2. Conflicting Signals: Healthy profitability and operational efficiency are offset by a heavy debt load and negative technical momentum, indicating weak investor sentiment. 3. Catalyst-Dependent: The upcoming earnings report is a key near-term catalyst that could validate or contradict the current "oversold" technical positioning.
Suitable Investor Types: This stock is primarily suited for speculative, short-term traders looking to capitalize on a potential earnings-driven bounce. Long-term value investors should wait for a more attractive valuation or clearer signs of a sustained turnaround.
Based on the metrics provided, DPZ appears to be overvalued. The stock trades at a high forward P/E of 28.4 and a concerningly high PEG ratio of approximately 4.0, indicating investors are paying a steep premium for its growth expectations relative to the growth rate itself. This premium valuation is further highlighted by the exceptionally high EV/EBITDA of 84.1, which is unsustainable for most companies. While Domino's demonstrates strong profitability, the current valuation metrics suggest the market's growth expectations are overly optimistic.
Based on the provided information, here are the key risks of holding DPZ stock, ordered by importance:
1. Market Risk: The stock exhibits high volatility and a strong tendency to underperform the market during downturns, as evidenced by its beta of 1.167 and significant -6% relative strength, indicating high susceptibility to broader market sentiment. 2. Financial Risk: The company carries a substantial debt burden, reflected in a high debt ratio of 3.07, which increases its vulnerability to rising interest rates and economic stress. 3. Business Risk: As a consumer discretionary company, Domino's is sensitive to reductions in consumer spending, which could be pressured by inflation or an economic slowdown, directly impacting its revenue.
Based on current financial analysis and industry dynamics, Domino's Pizza (DPZ) faces a challenging but potentially stabilizing path to 2026.
* Forecast & Targets: My base-case 2026 target price is $350-$420, predicated on moderate growth and valuation compression; a bull-case scenario reaching $480 would require accelerated store growth and significant margin expansion. * Growth Drivers: Key drivers include successful execution of its domestic "Fortressing" strategy to boost delivery efficiency, international franchise expansion, and leveraging its strong digital platform to increase order frequency and average ticket size. * Assumptions & Uncertainty: This forecast assumes stable consumer demand and manageable inflation but carries high uncertainty due to DPZ's significant debt load and intense competition, which could pressure profitability if execution falters or the economic backdrop weakens.