Dollar General stock plunges on earnings miss, lowered outlook

Dollar General (NYSE:DG ) saw its shares tumble 15.4% in premarket trading Thursday after the discount retailer reported second-quarter earnings and revenue that fell short of analyst expectations and significantly lowered its full-year guidance.

The company reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.70 for the second quarter, missing the consensus of $1.80. Revenue came in at $10.21 billion, below estimates of $10.38 billion, though up 4.2% YoY. Same-store sales increased a modest 0.5% compared to the same quarter last year.

Dollar General cut its full-year earnings outlook, now expecting EPS in the range of $5.50 to $6.20, well below its previous guidance of $6.80 to $7.55 and the consensus of $7.12. The company also lowered its net sales growth forecast to 4.7%-5.3%, down from 6.0%-6.7% previously.

CEO Todd Vasos acknowledged the disappointing results, stating, "We are not satisfied with our financial results, including top-line results below our expectations for the quarter." He cited a "core customer who feels financially constrained" as partially responsible for the softer sales trends.

The company's gross profit margin declined 112 basis points to 30.0%, primarily due to increased markdowns, inventory damages, and shrink. Operating profit fell 20.6% to $550.0 million compared to the same quarter last year.

Despite the challenges, Dollar General maintained its plans to open 730 new stores and remodel 1,620 existing locations this fiscal year. The company's board also declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.59 per share.

Source: Investing.com