Finance
Ahold Delhaize posts underlying operating income beat in fourth quarter
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 11, 2026
1 min readLast updated: February 11, 2026
Quick Summary
Ahold Delhaize reported a Q4 operating margin of 4.2%, surpassing the expected 3.9%, driven by strong U.S. market performance.
Ahold Delhaize Exceeds Expectations with Strong Q4 Operating Income
Ahold Delhaize's Financial Performance
Feb 10 (Reuters) - Dutch supermarket group Ahold Delhaize on Wednesday reported fourth-quarter underlying operating income that was above market expectations, citing a strong performance in the United States.
Underlying Operating Income
The group, which operates the Stop & Shop, Giant, Food Lion and Hannaford chains in the U.S. and the Albert Heijn and Delhaize chains in the Netherlands and Belgium, reported an underlying operating income of 994 million euros ($1.18 billion) for the quarter, beating the 918 million euros expected by analysts polled by the company.
Free Cash Flow Analysis
Free cash flow for the year rose 2.2% to 2.6 billion euros in 2025, helped by the group's underlying earnings, it said in a statement. Ahold said it expects this figure to drop at least 2.3 billion euros in 2026.
Dividend Proposal for 2025
The company proposed a 2025 dividend of 1.24 euros per share.
($1 = 0.8395 euros)
(Reporting by Dimitri Rhodes and Lucie Barbier; Editing by Matt Scuffham)
Key Takeaways
- •Ahold Delhaize's Q4 operating margin was 4.2%.
- •The margin exceeded the expected 3.9%.
- •Strong performance noted in the U.S. market.
- •Chains include Stop & Shop, Giant, and Food Lion.
- •Analysts were polled for margin expectations.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ahold Delhaize posts underlying operating income beat in fourth quarter
1What is operating margin?
Operating margin is a financial metric that shows the percentage of revenue that remains after covering operating expenses. It reflects a company's operational efficiency.
2What is a core operating profit?
Core operating profit refers to the earnings generated from a company's regular business operations, excluding any income from non-operational activities.
3What are retail chains?
Retail chains are groups of retail stores that share a brand and central management, selling similar products or services across multiple locations.
