Discount retailers Dollar General Corp (NYSE:DG) and Five Below Inc (NASDAQ:FIVE) are both fresh out of the earnings confessional this morning.
Dollar General posted better-than-expected third-quarter earnings of $1.28 per share, driven by strong operating margins, and lifted its full-year earnings guidance.
At last glance, Dollar General stock is up 10.5% at $121.44, trading at its highest levels since August 2024 after breaking above former resistance at the $116 level. For 2025, the equity is sporting a roughly 58% lead.
Over in the options pits, DG has seen 14,000 calls and 7,561 puts exchanged, already 10 times the average daily options volume. The weekly 12/5 120-strike call is the most popular, with new positions opening there.
Five Below also lifted its profit and revenue forecasts, while third-quarter results handily beat expectations. The company's profits of 68 cents per share more than tripled analyst estimates.
FIVE has pulled back from its sharp early morning gains, last seen down $1.2% at $161.21. The stock is brushing off no fewer than 12 price-target hikes after its upbeat report, finding resistance at the $168 level, which also capped a surge to annual highs in late October.
So far today, FIVE has seen 3,367 calls and 1,628 puts exchanged, five times the volume typically seen at this point. The December 175 call is the most popular, followed by the 160 call in the same series.
