Bull of the Day: Dollar General (DG)

When the market gets a little wobbly, investors have a habit of rediscovering an old truth: value never goes out of style. That’s exactly where today’s Bull of the Day shines. In an environment where consumers are still watching every dollar, it sits in the sweet spot of selling everyday necessities at prices that make stretched budgets breathe a little easier.

I’m talking about Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy)Dollar General (DG). Dollar General operates more than 20,000 stores across the U.S., with a heavy footprint in rural and underserved areas. That scale matters. It gives the company pricing power, distribution efficiency, and a captive customer base that isn’t suddenly trading down from Dollar General to somewhere cheaper, because there really isn’t anywhere cheaper. When inflation pinches, DG doesn’t get hurt; it gets busier.

What really puts Dollar General in Bull of the Day territory, though, is the earnings picture. Analysts have been nudging estimates higher, reflecting improving margins, better inventory discipline, and early signs that traffic trends are stabilizing. The company has been investing heavily in private-label brands, supply chain upgrades, and store remodels under its DG Fresh and other initiatives. Those investments weighed on results in the past, but they’re starting to look more like seeds that are about to sprout.

Dollar General Corporation Price and Consensus

Dollar General Corporation price-consensus-chart | Dollar General Corporation Quote

Analysts have taken notice, with 22 analysts increasing their estimates for both the current year and next year. The bullish moves have pushed up our Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year from $6.14 to $6.49 while next year’s number is up from $6.68 to $7.08. That puts current year growth estimates at 9.6% with next year coming in at 9.1%. That’s on revenue growth of 4.79% this year and 4.06% next year.

Those bullish moves are a big reason why the stock has been on fire since mid-November. Back then, shares were down under $100. Since then, shares have surged nearly 50% to $145.04.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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