Dollar General Co. (NYSE:DG) Stake Lessened by AQR Capital Management LLC

AQR Capital Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Dollar General Co. (NYSE:DG) by 65.0% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 8,697 shares of the company’s stock after selling 16,171 shares during the quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Dollar General were worth $1,141,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of DG. Bank & Trust Co purchased a new position in Dollar General during the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Fortis Group Advisors LLC grew its position in Dollar General by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 200 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in Dollar General in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Studio Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Dollar General by 117.7% in the 2nd quarter. Studio Investment Management LLC now owns 283 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Financial Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Dollar General during the 2nd quarter valued at $37,000. 91.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Dollar General Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of DG stock opened at $82.49 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.44. Dollar General Co. has a 1 year low of $77.96 and a 1 year high of $168.07. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $98.06 and its 200 day simple moving average is $123.11. The company has a current ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86.

Dollar General (NYSE:DG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 29th. The company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.79 by ($0.09). Dollar General had a return on equity of 20.62% and a net margin of 3.57%. The firm had revenue of $10.21 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.13 EPS. Dollar General’s revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Dollar General Co. will post 5.86 EPS for the current year.

Dollar General Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 22nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 8th will be paid a $0.59 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 8th. This represents a $2.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.86%. Dollar General’s payout ratio is currently 36.65%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Warren F. Bryant bought 500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 5th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $80.40 per share, with a total value of $40,200.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 41,030 shares in the company, valued at $3,298,812. This trade represents a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, EVP Steven R. Deckard sold 2,010 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.66, for a total value of $174,186.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 2,887 shares in the company, valued at $250,187.42. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Warren F. Bryant acquired 500 shares of Dollar General stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 5th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $80.40 per share, for a total transaction of $40,200.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 41,030 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,298,812. This represents a 0.00 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.49% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Melius Research began coverage on shares of Dollar General in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. They issued a “hold” rating and a $85.00 price target on the stock. Evercore ISI cut their price target on Dollar General from $139.00 to $100.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 30th. Loop Capital lowered their price target on Dollar General from $130.00 to $90.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 30th. Gordon Haskett downgraded Dollar General from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $90.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Friday, August 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut shares of Dollar General from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $170.00 to $100.00 in a research note on Friday, August 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Dollar General has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $109.15.

About Dollar General

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.