Homegrown Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) posted a marginal 1.6 percent increase in net income to P9.0 billion in the first nine months from P8.9 billion a year earlier.

In a Friday stock exchange report, the company said net income attributable to equity holders rose 2.2 percent to P8.65 billion from P8.47 billion.

Revenues, on the other hand, grew 14.3 percent to P224.22 billion, while operating income increased 14.6 percent to P16.01 billion. EBITDA rose 12.4 percent to P31.91 billion, and total system-wide sales climbed 18.4 percent to P332.81 billion.

For the third quarter alone, system-wide sales increased 16.8 percent to P115.1 billion amid continued growth in both domestic and international markets.

“The Jollibee Group delivered solid financial results for the third quarter, maintaining growth across key markets. We remain focused on long-term value creation, expanding our global footprint, and delivering consistent sustainable returns to our shareholders,” JFC Chief Executive Officer Ernesto Tanmantiong said.

Richard Shin, JFC Chief Financial and Risk Officer, added: “We continued to deliver healthy profit growth in the third quarter, though at a more tempered pace compared to the first half of the year.

This strategy enables accelerated network growth while minimizing capital outlay and improving profitability, driving steady EBITDA expansion and margin resilience.”

Through September, the Jollibee Group opened 754 new stores, 77 percent of which were franchised, bringing the total network to 10,304 stores globally.

The Board also approved a regular cash dividend of Php2.11 per share, payable on 16 December, up 15.9 percent from last year’s P1.82 per share.