Dollar General (NYSE:DG) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Dollar General from “hold” to “buy,” though the broader analyst consensus remains “Hold,” with 18 hold ratings versus 10 buys and an average price target of $134.65.
• Dollar General’s second-quarter results beat expectations: EPS was $2.48 versus the $2.01 consensus, revenue rose 5.2% to $11.29 billion, and the company raised fiscal 2026 EPS guidance to $7.80–$8.00.
• Despite improved earnings and increased institutional ownership, shares fell 2.6% to $122.57, while consumer financial pressures and a pending general counsel transition remain potential risks.

Dollar General (NYSE:DG - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on DG. Gordon Haskett cut shares of Dollar General from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $140.00 to $110.00 in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Wolfe Research reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $143.00 price objective on shares of Dollar General in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Dollar General in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of Dollar General from $118.00 to $123.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday. Finally, HSBC dropped their target price on Dollar General from $141.00 to $125.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eighteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $134.65.

Dollar General Trading Down 2.6%

DG traded down $3.32 during trading on Friday, reaching $122.57. The company had a trading volume of 3,310,219 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,182,128. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $121.41 and a 200-day simple moving average of $123.16. The stock has a market cap of $27.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.94, a PEG ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. Dollar General has a 52 week low of $95.11 and a 52 week high of $158.23.

Dollar General (NYSE:DG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 27th. The company reported $2.48 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $11.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $11.20 billion. Dollar General had a net margin of 3.90% and a return on equity of 18.93%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.86 EPS. Dollar General has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.800-8.000 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Dollar General will post 7.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Dollar General

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of DG. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its stake in Dollar General by 14,024.5% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 37,348,936 shares of the company's stock worth $4,299,236,000 after buying an additional 37,084,509 shares during the period. Life Cycle Investment Partners Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Dollar General in the fourth quarter worth $363,299,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Dollar General by 416.4% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,525,608 shares of the company's stock worth $259,759,000 after acquiring an additional 2,036,573 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Dollar General by 24,882.5% during the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,694,315 shares of the company's stock worth $224,953,000 after acquiring an additional 1,687,533 shares during the period. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised its stake in shares of Dollar General by 35.0% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 6,270,333 shares of the company's stock valued at $832,513,000 after acquiring an additional 1,624,748 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.77% of the company's stock.

Dollar General News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Dollar General this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results beat expectations: Net sales rose 5.2% year over year to approximately $11.3 billion, while diluted EPS increased 33.3% to $2.48, well above the roughly $2.01 consensus. Same-store sales grew 3.5%, supported by higher traffic and transaction values, and operating profit increased 29.2%. Dollar General Corporation Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Higher full-year guidance reinforces the turnaround: Dollar General raised fiscal 2026 EPS guidance to $7.80–$8.00 and lifted its comparable-sales outlook, citing steady demand for lower-priced essentials as consumers remain focused on value. UBS described the quarter as credible evidence of sustainable turnaround momentum. Dollar General raises annual comparable sales forecast on steady demand, shares jump
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised price targets: BMO increased its target to $135, Telsey to $140 and BNP Paribas Exane to $129. All retained market-perform or neutral ratings, indicating improved expectations but limited conviction for significant outperformance. The company also declared a $0.59 quarterly dividend and expects up to $700 million of fiscal-year share repurchases.
• Neutral Sentiment: AI investment could improve operations: DG is partnering with RELEX Solutions to deploy AI-based forecasting, replenishment and inventory-allocation tools across its North American store and distribution network. The initiative may improve product availability and margins, although benefits will depend on implementation. RELEX Solutions Announces Partnership with Dollar General
• Negative Sentiment: Consumer pressures and leadership transition remain risks: DG said its core lower-income shopper is closely managing every dollar, while higher-income customers are increasingly seeking value. Executive Vice President and General Counsel Rhonda Taylor also plans to retire, with a transition to Kelly Collier beginning in December. These factors may temper enthusiasm despite the earnings beat. Dollar General Announces General Counsel Retirement and Transition

About Dollar General

Dollar General Corporation is a U.S.-based variety and discount retailer operating a large network of small-format stores that serve primarily rural and suburban communities. The company is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker DG and is headquartered in the Nashville/Goodlettsville, Tennessee area. Founded in 1939, Dollar General has grown from a regional operation into one of the nation's prominent low-price retailers focused on convenience and value.

Dollar General's stores offer a wide assortment of everyday consumables and household goods, including food and beverage items, cleaning supplies, health and beauty products, paper goods, apparel basics, seasonal merchandise and small household items.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source