The Goldman Sachs Group Has Lowered Expectations for Dollar General (NYSE:DG) Stock Price

Dollar General (NYSE:DG) had its target price dropped by research analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $122.00 to $104.00 in a report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group’s target price suggests a potential upside of 27.47% from the company’s current price.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on shares of Dollar General from $110.00 to $90.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 15th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Dollar General in a report on Monday, August 26th. Morgan Stanley cut Dollar General from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $170.00 to $100.00 in a research report on Friday, August 30th. Melius Research began coverage on Dollar General in a research report on Monday, September 23rd. They set a “hold” rating and a $85.00 price target for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Dollar General from $90.00 to $80.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have given a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $98.27.

Dollar General Price Performance

DG opened at $81.59 on Friday. Dollar General has a twelve month low of $72.12 and a twelve month high of $168.07. The firm has a market cap of $17.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.44, a PEG ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a current ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $79.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $103.60.

Dollar General (NYSE:DG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 5th. The company reported $0.89 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.97 by ($0.08). Dollar General had a net margin of 3.57% and a return on equity of 20.62%. The business had revenue of $10.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.14 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.26 EPS. Dollar General’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Dollar General will post 5.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Dollar General

In related news, EVP Roderick J. West sold 2,510 shares of Dollar General stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.25, for a total value of $208,957.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 9,163 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $762,819.75. The trade was a 21.50 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Steven R. Deckard sold 2,010 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $86.66, for a total transaction of $174,186.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 2,887 shares in the company, valued at $250,187.42. The trade was a 41.05 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.49% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Dollar General

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of DG. Studio Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Dollar General by 117.7% during the 2nd quarter. Studio Investment Management LLC now owns 283 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the last quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Dollar General in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of Dollar General during the second quarter worth approximately $46,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC boosted its position in shares of Dollar General by 30.6% in the second quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 376 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares during the period. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in shares of Dollar General in the third quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors own 91.77% of the company’s stock.

Dollar General Company Profile

Dollar General Corporation, a discount retailer, provides various merchandise products in the southern, southwestern, midwestern, and eastern United States. It offers consumable products, including paper and cleaning products, such as paper towels, bath tissues, paper dinnerware, trash and storage bags, disinfectants, and laundry products; packaged food comprising cereals, pasta, canned soups, fruits and vegetables, condiments, spices, sugar, and flour; and perishables that include milk, eggs, bread, refrigerated and frozen food, beer, and wine.