Del Monte Corporation returned to quarterly profit in its fiscal third quarter, while adjusted earnings per share fell and long-term debt rose as the company financed an asset purchase and carried more inventory.
Sales for the three months ending Sept. 25, 2026, reached $1.0953 billion, a 7.2% gain from the year-earlier period. Del Monte's net income attributable to the company was $18.3 million; it had posted a $29.1 million loss in the 2025 quarter. Operating income was $29.1 million, reversing an operating loss of $21.8 million.
Diluted earnings were $0.39 a share, versus a per-share loss of $0.61 a year earlier. Adjusted diluted earnings per share, which Del Monte identifies as a non-GAAP measure, came to $0.50, down from $0.69. Chairman and CEO Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh said the results showed the “strategic and financial value” of the company’s expanded portfolio.
On March 19, Del Monte closed a transaction worth about $285 million involving selected assets of the separate Del Monte Foods business. Prepared Foods had net sales of $261.2 million and a gross margin of 17.5%, with gross profit totaling $45.8 million.
Banana sales totaled $313.3 million, and the segment posted a $2.7 million gross loss. Del Monte pointed to softer banana volume, competition and supply limits in the Middle East as factors weighing on the business. It also reported about $6.1 million in additional Costa Rica production expenses for measures against Black Sigatoka. Overall sales increased even as the company cited lower volume in the Banana segment.
Long-term debt totaled $482.5 million at quarter-end, compared with $173 million at the end of 2025. Del Monte linked the rise chiefly to funding for the asset purchase and inventory buildup.
