Merit Financial Group LLC Has $1.31 Million Stock Holdings in Dollar General Corporation $DG

Merit Financial Group LLC raised its position in Dollar General Corporation (NYSE:DG) by 61.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 12,663 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 4,842 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Dollar General were worth $1,309,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in Dollar General in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Caldwell Trust Co bought a new stake in Dollar General in the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp acquired a new position in Dollar General in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in Dollar General by 46.8% in the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 439 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the period. Finally, MTM Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Dollar General during the second quarter worth about $51,000. 91.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Dollar General

In related news, EVP Carman R. Wenkoff sold 19,166 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.01, for a total value of $2,530,103.66. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 43,179 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,700,059.79. This trade represents a 30.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Rhonda Taylor sold 7,500 shares of Dollar General stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $134.89, for a total transaction of $1,011,675.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 73,492 shares in the company, valued at $9,913,335.88. The trade was a 9.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 58,673 shares of company stock worth $7,713,389. 0.56% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

DG has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Dollar General in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Dollar General from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of Dollar General from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of Dollar General from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of Dollar General from $117.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $133.23.

Dollar General Trading Up 1.5%

DG opened at $138.92 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $30.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. Dollar General Corporation has a 12 month low of $66.43 and a 12 month high of $139.83. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $117.09 and its 200 day simple moving average is $111.44.

Dollar General (NYSE:DG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.95 by $0.33. The firm had revenue of $10.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.60 billion. Dollar General had a return on equity of 18.59% and a net margin of 3.03%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.89 EPS. Dollar General has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.300-6.500 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Dollar General Corporation will post 5.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Dollar General Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 20th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 6th will be given a dividend of $0.59 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 6th. This represents a $2.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. Dollar General’s dividend payout ratio is 40.76%.

Dollar General Profile

Dollar General Corporation is a U.S.-based variety and discount retailer operating a large network of small-format stores that serve primarily rural and suburban communities. The company is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker DG and is headquartered in the Nashville/Goodlettsville, Tennessee area. Founded in 1939, Dollar General has grown from a regional operation into one of the nation’s prominent low-price retailers focused on convenience and value.

Dollar General’s stores offer a wide assortment of everyday consumables and household goods, including food and beverage items, cleaning supplies, health and beauty products, paper goods, apparel basics, seasonal merchandise and small household items.