Dollar General (NYSE:DG) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• FY2026 guidance: Dollar General raised its outlook to $44.3B–$44.5B in revenue and $7.10–$7.35 EPS, both above Wall Street consensus.
• Operational update: Q4 beat expectations with $1.93 EPS and $10.91B revenue and showed margin improvement and +4.3% same‑store sales, but management warned annual comparable sales may fall short of estimates as some customers shift to Walmart and online channels.
• Market reaction and analyst views are mixed: the consensus rating is a Hold with a $146.15 average price target, though several firms have raised price targets (e.g., JPMorgan to $170) while others remain cautious.

Dollar General (NYSE:DG - Get Free Report) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 7.100-7.35 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 6.790. The company issued revenue guidance of $44.3 billion-$44.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $43.3 billion.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on DG. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on shares of Dollar General from $141.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Dollar General from $166.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Daiwa Securities Group boosted their price target on shares of Dollar General from $113.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Evercore cut their price target on shares of Dollar General from $145.00 to $144.00 in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Dollar General from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $146.15.

Dollar General Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of NYSE DG opened at $144.70 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $31.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.23. Dollar General has a 52 week low of $74.67 and a 52 week high of $158.23. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $147.75 and a 200 day moving average price of $123.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63.

Dollar General (NYSE:DG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The company reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.36. Dollar General had a net margin of 3.03% and a return on equity of 18.59%. The company had revenue of $10.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.78 billion. Dollar General has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.100-7.35 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Dollar General will post 5.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Dollar General

In other news, EVP Roderick J. West sold 2,282 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.35, for a total transaction of $304,304.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 36,108 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,815,001.80. This trade represents a 5.94% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Bryan D. Wheeler sold 9,776 shares of Dollar General stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.32, for a total value of $1,322,888.32. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 22,295 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,016,959.40. This represents a 30.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 22,074 shares of company stock valued at $2,972,288. Company insiders own 0.56% of the company's stock.

Key Dollar General News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Dollar General posted a Q4 earnings beat — $1.93 EPS vs. $1.57 expected — and revenue of $10.91B that topped estimates; same-store sales rose 4.3% and operating profit jumped sharply. These results point to improved margin traction and execution. Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Research support — Wolfe Research raised its price target to $165, signaling some analyst confidence in DG’s outlook despite mixed forward commentary. Wolfe Research Raises PT
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term performance: DG has outpaced the Dow over the past year, suggesting investor appetite for discount-retailer exposure as consumers seek value. Is DG Outperforming the Dow?
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/theme coverage notes that discount-retailer ETFs and value-focused names could benefit from budget-conscious consumers — a sector tailwind that may support DG over time. ETFs That Could Benefit
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre-market and analyst chatter (calls, watchlists) increased ahead of the report — heightened attention can amplify intraday moves but doesn’t change fundamentals. Stocks to Watch
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance worry — Dollar General forecast annual comparable sales below Wall Street estimates and noted customers shifting to Walmart and online for better deals; that guidance is the primary driver of today’s weakness. DG Forecasts Sales Below Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed analyst view — Telsey reaffirmed a "Market Perform" rating, underscoring cautious sentiment among some sell-side analysts despite the beat. Telsey Reaffirms Rating

Institutional Trading of Dollar General

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in Dollar General by 416.4% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,525,608 shares of the company's stock worth $259,759,000 after purchasing an additional 2,036,573 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its position 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 buying an additional 1,624,748 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Dollar General by 9.1% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 10,963,378 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,133,065,000 after buying an additional 913,373 shares during the period. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec lifted its stake in shares of Dollar General by 1,615.1% during the third quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec now owns 908,110 shares of the company's stock valued at $93,853,000 after buying an additional 855,162 shares during the period. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its position in Dollar General by 120.8% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 1,453,649 shares of the company's stock worth $150,235,000 after acquiring an additional 795,178 shares during the last quarter. 91.77% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Dollar General Company Profile

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.

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