Berkshire Sold All of Its Domino's Stock. I Didn't. Here's Why.

Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRKA)(NYSE:BRKB) jettisoned 16 stocks since new CEO Greg Abel took the reins earlier this year, including Domino's Pizza (NASDAQ:DPZ). The sale of Domino's marked a stark reversal as Berkshire had spent several quarters building up a nearly 10% stake in the pizza chain.

While Berkshire Hathaway's new CEO is getting out of Domino's stock, I'm still holding. Even though the pizza stock has hit a rough patch, I have confidence in the long-term growth story, including its ability to continue increasing the dividend.

Image source: Getty Images.

A cold slice of reality

There's a reason Abel dumped Domino's stock. It has lost about a third of its value since the second quarter of 2024, when Berkshire began buying shares, with most of that decline occurring this year. That's due to its slowing growth.

During the first quarter, Domino's same-store sales growth slowed to an anemic 0.4% internationally and 0.9% in the U.S., as it battled what CEO Russell Weiner called a "intensifying macro and competitive environment." The war with Iran and continued inflation are impacting customer sentiment, with inflation having a meaningful impact on lower-income customers. That's leading rivals to aggressively discount to grab market share. Same-store sales growth slowed further in the second quarter to 0.1% in both the U.S. and international markets.

A different appetite

Berkshire grabbed a slice of Domino's when Warren Buffett was still the CEO. He's no longer in charge of the company and its investment portfolio. New CEO Greg Abel has his own vision for the company, which he has started executing since taking over at the beginning of the year.

He embarked on a massive overhaul of the investment portfolio during the first quarter, dumping 16 positions, or a third of the portfolio. In addition to Domino's, Abel sold out of other very notable names, including Amazon, Visa, and Mastercard. Meanwhile, he significantly boosted the company's stake in Alphabet, tripling its holdings.

So, the sale of Domino's was more about Abel revamping Berkshire's entire investment portfolio than a specific vote against the stock.

My tastes haven't changed

While I acknowledge that Domino's is facing some headwinds, its recent issues haven't altered my view. Despite sluggish same-store sales growth, the company's overall growth remains solid. Global retail sales rose 3.4% in the first quarter and 3% in the second quarter, driven by a growing store footprint (955 net store growth over the last 12 months). As the CEO pointed out in the second-quarter earnings press release, the growing store count is adding new customers, which will "strengthen our long-term growth flywheel by engaging with our loyalty program, while their orders power our supply chain business, fuel store growth, and drive market share."

Meanwhile, the company is still generating lots of cash ($352.6 million year-to-date). Domino's is allocating that money to grow shareholder value. It's investing in the business, strengthening its balance sheet (leverage has fallen from 4.7x to 4.3x over the past year), and returning cash to investors. The company's board approved an additional $1 billion share repurchase program in the first quarter, which boosted the total remaining authorization to almost $1.3 billion at the time. It also hiked its dividend by another 15% earlier this year.

That growing dividend is one of the things I find most satisfying about the stock. Domino's has grown its dividend by nearly 112% over the past five years. It can easily afford its current payment level (2.4% yield). It paid out $68.2 million in dividends during the first half of this year, only about 22% of its free cash flow ($313.6 million). That leaves lots of room to grow the payout while it works to reignite its sluggish growth.

I share management's long-term conviction, not Abel's taste for change

Long-time CEO Russell Weiner stated in the second-quarter earnings release that: "My conviction in Domino's long-term growth potential remains as strong as ever...Domino's is uniquely positioned to continue gaining market share and delivering long-term value for shareholders."

I share that same conviction, even with the knowledge that Weiner has since announced he's stepping out of that role and becoming the Executive Chairman, with current COO Joe Jordan taking over as CEO. That internal succession is a sign of continuity, much as it was for Berkshire. I still believe the company can grow its earnings, dividend, and shareholder value over the long-term, which is why I plan to continue holding. And, given how cheap the stock has gotten, I'm considering grabbing another slice of Domino's.

Matt DiLallo has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, Domino's Pizza, Mastercard, and Visa and has the following options: long June 2028 $180 calls on Amazon and short September 2026 $280 calls on Amazon. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, Domino's Pizza, Mastercard, and Visa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.