Dollar General Earnings Preview: In the Shadow of Possible Mergers

Photo of Chris Lange
By Chris Lange Published
This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.

Dollar General Corp. (NYSE: DG) is set to report earnings on Thursday before the market opens. These earnings loom as news for a potential merger between Dollar General and Family Dollar Stores Inc. (NYSE: FDO) has caused share prices to become more volatile. At the same time, Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) is attempting to buy out Family Dollar as well.

Thomson Reuters has consensus earnings estimates of $0.83 per share and $4.77 billion in revenue. This would compare to the results for the same quarter a year ago of $0.77 earnings per share and $4.39 billion in revenue. Estimates for the coming quarter are for earnings of $0.81 per share and revenue of $4.77 billion.

Dollar General had shares spike to a 52-week high of $65.99 in June, after falling to a 52-week low of $53.00 in May, but the reality is that the most recent closing prices are among the highest ones of the past year, if you take out the gyrations. The volatility is keyed around the changing landscape of dollar stores via the merger of Family Dollar with Dollar General or with Dollar Tree, and the verdict is still out over who will win.

READ ALSO: Best Buy Turnaround Woes Continue

As more the details for the potential merger come to light, the concerns of facing an antitrust suit for the dollar giant are beginning to subside. Dollar General originally offered Family Dollar $78.50 per share, but this was rejected, reportedly based on antitrust concerns. However, Family Dollar is still open to the idea of a merger, should there be government approval and possibly a higher offer.

With shares recently trading at $64.11, it has a consensus analyst price target of $69.12 and the 52-week range is $53.00 to $65.99. Dollar General trades at 15 times next year’s earnings.

Photo of Chris Lange
About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.

Continue Reading

Top Gaining Stocks

CBOE Vol: 1,568,143
PSKY Vol: 12,285,993
STX Vol: 7,378,346
ORCL Vol: 26,317,675
DDOG Vol: 6,247,779

Top Losing Stocks

LKQ
LKQ Vol: 4,367,433
CLX Vol: 13,260,523
SYK Vol: 4,519,455
MHK Vol: 1,859,865
AMGN Vol: 3,818,618