Dollar General (NYSE:DG) Reaches New 52-Week High – Here’s What Happened

Dollar General Corporation (NYSE:DG)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $146.89 and last traded at $146.6980, with a volume of 230388 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $142.74.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DG has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Dollar General in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Barclays lifted their target price on Dollar General from $127.00 to $151.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Dollar General from $115.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Truist Financial raised their price target on Dollar General from $120.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Dollar General from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $170.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and fifteen have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Dollar General currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.50.

Dollar General Trading Up 3.3%

The business has a 50-day moving average of $120.59 and a 200-day moving average of $112.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The firm has a market cap of $32.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.47, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.26.

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

Dollar General Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 20th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 6th will be given a dividend of $0.59 per share. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 6th. Dollar General’s dividend payout ratio is 40.76%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Rhonda Taylor sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $134.89, for a total value of $1,011,675.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 73,492 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,913,335.88. This trade represents a 9.26% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Bryan D. Wheeler sold 9,776 shares of the business’s 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 directly owned 22,295 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,016,959.40. This trade represents a 30.48% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 58,673 shares of company stock worth $7,713,389. Corporate insiders own 0.56% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Dollar General by 32.5% in the 4th quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 4,732 shares of the company’s stock valued at $628,000 after acquiring an additional 1,160 shares during the period. Rialto Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Dollar General by 427.3% during the 4th quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC now owns 348 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 282 shares during the period. Murphy Middleton Hinkle & Parker Inc. acquired a new position in Dollar General in the 4th quarter valued at about $705,000. Diversified Trust Co. raised its holdings in Dollar General by 20.9% in the 4th quarter. Diversified Trust Co. now owns 5,949 shares of the company’s stock valued at $790,000 after acquiring an additional 1,028 shares during the period. Finally, Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC raised its holdings in Dollar General by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 10,919 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,450,000 after acquiring an additional 173 shares during the period. 91.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.