Franklin Resources Inc. Acquires 339,446 Shares of Dollar General Corporation $DG

Key Points

• Franklin Resources increased its stake in Dollar General by 16.0%, buying 339,446 shares1.12% of the company) valued at roughly $254.1 million.
• Dollar General beat Q4 estimates (EPS $1.93 vs. $1.57; revenue $10.91B) and set FY2026 EPS guidance of $7.10–7.35, but a softer comparable‑sales outlook and mixed analyst responses pushed the stock down about 6.6%.
• The board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.59 (annualized $2.36, ~1.7% yield); institutions own ~91.8% of shares while insiders have sold recently (19,558 shares over 90 days), leaving insiders with ~0.56% ownership.

Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in Dollar General Corporation (NYSE:DG - Free Report) by 16.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,458,407 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 339,446 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. owned about 1.12% of Dollar General worth $254,076,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Dollar General by 0.3% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 26,896,503 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,779,754,000 after purchasing an additional 78,854 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its holdings in Dollar General by 116.0% during the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,714,972 shares of the company's stock worth $310,538,000 after buying an additional 1,458,093 shares during the last quarter. Baupost Group LLC MA grew its position in shares of Dollar General by 26.7% during the 2nd quarter. Baupost Group LLC MA now owns 2,666,876 shares of the company's stock worth $305,037,000 after buying an additional 562,000 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Dollar General by 31.0% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,596,250 shares of the company's stock valued at $268,313,000 after acquiring an additional 614,373 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Dollar General by 4.1% in the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,778,479 shares of the company's stock valued at $203,422,000 after acquiring an additional 70,588 shares during the last quarter. 91.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Dollar General Trading Down 6.6%

Shares of NYSE:DG opened at $135.34 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $29.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.37, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.23. Dollar General Corporation has a 12 month low of $76.44 and a 12 month high of $158.23. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $147.80 and its 200 day simple moving average is $123.48. 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 announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The company reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.57 by $0.36. The firm had revenue of $10.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.78 billion. Dollar General had a net margin of 3.03% and a return on equity of 18.59%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.87 EPS. Dollar General has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.100-7.35 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Dollar General Corporation will post 5.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Dollar General Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 7th will be given a $0.59 dividend. This represents a $2.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 7th. Dollar General's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.76%.

More Dollar General News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat on revenue and EPS, with margin improvement and rising same-store sales (Q4 net sales +5.9%, comps +4.3%, GAAP EPS $1.93). Dollar General Reports Strong Fourth Quarter
• Positive Sentiment: Digital engagement is growing (about 7 million app users), supporting omnichannel and customer retention initiatives. Dollar General Logs 7 Million App Users
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional investors have been buying the dip, which MarketBeat flags as a supportive sign for longer-term upside if fundamentals hold. Dollar General Holds Its Ground at Critical Level, Signals Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Board continues shareholder returns: quarterly dividend declared (annualized ~$2.36; ~1.7% yield), signaling cash-flow confidence.
• Neutral Sentiment: Fiscal‑2026 guidance is mixed: management gave EPS guidance that sits above some estimates (FY EPS $7.10–7.35) and revenue guidance near Street levels, but comparable‑sales guidance was softer — a mixed signal for growth vs. profitability.
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro volatility (broader market selloff and rising oil) exacerbated intraday weakness in retail names, adding pressure to DG shares independent of company fundamentals.
• Negative Sentiment: Investors focused on the company’s slower FY26 comparable‑sales outlook and “muted” annual sales forecast, which many viewed as below Street expectations and the main reason the stock declined after the beat. Dollar General forecasts annual sales below estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts are mixed: some maintained ratings but trimmed price targets or emphasized rising competitive pressure and slower profit-growth, leaving the consensus biased toward “Hold” and weighing on constructive near-term momentum. Dollar General: Solid Near‑Term Performance but Slower Profit Growth

Insider Transactions at Dollar General

In other news, EVP Roderick J. West sold 2,282 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.35, for a total value of $304,304.70. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 36,108 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,815,001.80. The trade was a 5.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Rhonda Taylor sold 7,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $134.89, for a total transaction of $1,011,675.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 73,492 shares in the company, valued at $9,913,335.88. This trade represents a 9.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 19,558 shares of company stock valued at $2,638,868 over the last 90 days. 0.56% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several 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 stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $135.00 target price on shares of Dollar General in a research note on Friday, December 5th. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $168.00 target price on shares of Dollar General in a report on Friday, February 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $170.00 price target on shares of Dollar General in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price target on shares of Dollar General from $145.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Fourteen equities research 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's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $145.67.

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.

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