Dollar General Corporation (DG)

Dollar General's stock has experienced a significant rebound in the past six months, with a 36.13% increase over this period and a 111.35% increase over the past year as of January 2026. This follows a sharp decline in late 2024, triggered by disappointing Q2 2024 results, inventory mismanagement, high shrinkage, and poor cost control. In December 2025, Dollar General raised its full-year profit outlook after reporting strong third-quarter results, driven by steady traffic and tighter cost controls. This positive news led to several analyst upgrades and increased price targets from firms like UBS, Guggenheim, JPMorgan, Jefferies, Bernstein, and Bank of America in late 2025 and early 2026. The stock reached a 52-week high of $139.88 in early January 2026 and continued to surge, reaching $148.86 by January 13, 2026. The company also affirmed a quarterly dividend of $0.59 in 2025.

Dollar General experiences stable demand throughout the year due to its product offerings, particularly consumables. Seasonal products also contribute significantly to sales, indicating a seasonal component to demand. The company's sales can be impacted by the financial constraints of its core low-income customer base, with the weakest sales often observed in the final week of each calendar month.

Dollar General operates in the discount retail sector, providing everyday essentials at low prices to value-conscious consumers in rural and suburban communities. Its major product categories include consumables, seasonal products, home products, and apparel. Consumables represent over 75% of total sales and include paper products, packaged food, health and beauty aids, pet supplies, and tobacco products. Seasonal products include holiday items, toys, small electronics, and gardening supplies. Home products consist of kitchen supplies, small appliances, and home decor, while apparel covers clothing for all ages. Dollar General offers both national name brands and its own private brand selections.

As of late 2025 and early 2026, Dollar General operates over 20,000 stores across 48 states in the contiguous United States, the District of Columbia, and Mexico. Approximately 80% of its stores are located in communities with populations under 20,000. Texas, Georgia, and North Carolina have the highest number of Dollar General locations in the U.S.

In the past year, Dollar General's reputation has been influenced by both challenges and efforts to improve. In the first half of 2024, the company shut down self-checkout in over half of its stores across the US due to losses from theft. Earlier, in July 2023, there were reports of investors calling for an audit due to concerns over working conditions. However, more recent developments in late 2025 and early 2026, such as improved financial performance, enhanced cost controls, and strategic initiatives to streamline operations and manage inventory, suggest a focus on operational improvements that could positively influence brand reputation.

Dollar General Corporation's ownership is primarily institutional, with approximately 74.84% to 94.91% held by institutional investors. Major institutional owners include Vanguard Group Inc., BlackRock, Inc., Pzena Investment Management Llc, State Street Corp, First Eagle Investment Management, LLC, Geode Capital Management, Llc, Morgan Stanley, ACR Alpine Capital Research LLC, Bank Of America Corp, and Baillie Gifford & Co. Individual investors and public companies hold a smaller percentage, with insiders owning approximately 0.29% to 0.45% of the stock.