How Family Dollar Is Holding Dollar Tree Back

By Chris Lange Updated Jan 11, 2:21PM EST · Published Nov 29, 9:45AM EST

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How Family Dollar Is Holding Dollar Tree Back — © Trong Nguyen / Shutterstock.com

Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) released its most recent quarterly results before the markets opened on Thursday. The dollar store said that it had $1.18 in earnings per share (EPS) and $5.54 billion in revenue, compared with consensus estimates that called for $1.14 in EPS and $5.55 billion in revenue. The same period of last year reportedly had EPS of $1.01 and $5.32 billion in revenue.

During the latest quarter, enterprise same-store sales increased 1.0% and same-store sales for the Dollar Tree banner increased 2.3% on a constant currency basis (or 2.2% when adjusted to include the impact of Canadian currency fluctuations).

Same-store sales for the Family Dollar banner decreased by 0.4%. In terms of the Family Dollar integration, the company noted that it has made significant progress. While there is more to be done, management believes that Family Dollar will demonstrate its potential as the store optimization program and integration initiatives are implemented and gain traction throughout 2019.

Looking ahead, the company expects to see EPS in the range of $1.86 to $1.95 and net sales between $6.10 billion and $6.21 billion. Consensus estimates call for $2.00 in EPS and $6.23 billion in revenue for the current quarter.

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Gary Philbin, president and CEO, commented:

We delivered earnings within the range of our expectations despite continued cost pressures related to domestic freight and our investment in store wages. Dollar Tree delivered its 43rd consecutive quarter of same-store sales growth, with increases in both customer transactions and average ticket. We are pleased with the performance of our newly renovated Family Dollar stores. Additionally, we have begun the important phase of consolidating our store support centers into our Chesapeake campus, which will improve our ability to support Family Dollar stores through enhanced collaboration, communication and teamwork.

Shares of Dollar Tree traded up 4.4% early Thursday to $87.00, in a 52-week range of $78.78 to $116.65. The consensus analyst target is $95.71.

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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.