Wall Street Zen Upgrades Dollar General (NYSE:DG) to “Buy”

Dollar General (NYSE:DG) was upgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

Several other brokerages have also weighed in on DG. Freedom Capital lowered Dollar General from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Dollar General from $151.00 to $148.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Dollar General from $109.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Evercore reduced their price target on shares of Dollar General from $145.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $160.00 target price on shares of Dollar General in a research report on Friday. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $134.65.

Dollar General Stock Down 2.6%

Shares of Dollar General stock traded down $3.32 during trading on Friday, hitting $122.57. 3,310,219 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,182,128. The stock has a market cap of $27.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.23. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $121.41 and its 200 day moving average price is $123.16. Dollar General has a 12-month low of $95.11 and a 12-month high of $158.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 0.25.

Dollar General (NYSE:DG) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 27th. The company reported $2.48 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.47. Dollar General had a return on equity of 18.93% and a net margin of 3.90%.The firm had revenue of $11.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.86 earnings per share. Dollar General’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Dollar General has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.800-8.000 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Dollar General will post 7.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Dollar General

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its stake in shares of Dollar General by 9.3% in the 4th quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 808 shares of the company’s stock valued at $107,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. BOKF NA lifted its holdings in shares of Dollar General by 15.2% during the fourth quarter. BOKF NA now owns 554 shares of the company’s stock worth $74,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the period. Strata Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Dollar General by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Strata Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,367 shares of the company’s stock valued at $314,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Optimize Financial Inc increased its stake in Dollar General by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Optimize Financial Inc now owns 5,550 shares of the company’s stock valued at $737,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the period. Finally, Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in Dollar General by 69.3% during the 4th quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 193 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. 91.77% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Dollar General News

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.