Dollar General (NYSE:DG) Hits New 12-Month High on Analyst Upgrade

Dollar General Corporation (NYSE:DG)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday after Wolfe Research raised their price target on the stock from $141.00 to $159.00. Wolfe Research currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Dollar General traded as high as $138.46 and last traded at $137.0510, with a volume of 113097 shares. The stock had previously closed at $137.28.

DG has been the subject of several other research reports. Gordon Haskett boosted their target price on Dollar General from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Argus boosted their price objective on shares of Dollar General from $135.00 to $152.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Dollar General from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their target price for the company from $128.00 to $166.00 in a report on Monday, December 15th. Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price target on shares of Dollar General in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Dollar General from $112.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, December 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $132.62.

Insider Activity

In other Dollar General news, CAO Anita C. Elliott sold 2,516 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.52, for a total transaction of $333,420.32. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 29,344 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,888,666.88. This trade represents a 7.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Roderick J. West sold 2,282 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was 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. This trade represents a 5.94% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 58,673 shares of company stock worth $7,713,389 over the last quarter. 0.56% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Dollar General

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cardinal Point Capital Management ULC lifted its holdings in shares of Dollar General by 5.0% in the 3rd quarter. Cardinal Point Capital Management ULC now owns 2,120 shares of the company’s stock valued at $219,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Brooks Moore & Associates Inc. raised its position in Dollar General by 1.3% in the third quarter. Brooks Moore & Associates Inc. now owns 7,590 shares of the company’s stock worth $784,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Dollar General by 5.5% in the third quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,955 shares of the company’s stock valued at $202,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the period. Accurate Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Dollar General by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Accurate Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,182 shares of the company’s stock worth $952,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Dollar General by 5.8% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,005 shares of the company’s stock valued at $229,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.77% of the company’s stock.

Dollar General Stock Down 2.4%

The company has a market capitalization of $29.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.27. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $111.43 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $109.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 0.24.

Dollar General (NYSE:DG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.95 by $0.33. The firm had revenue of $10.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.60 billion. Dollar General had a return on equity of 18.59% and a net margin of 3.03%.Dollar General’s revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.89 earnings per share. Dollar General has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.300-6.500 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Dollar General Corporation will post 5.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Dollar General Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 20th. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 6th will be paid a $0.59 dividend. This represents a $2.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 6th. Dollar General’s dividend payout ratio is presently 40.76%.

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.