Dollar General vs. Dollar Tree: Which One Looks Better Ahead of Earnings?
Deep discount retail chains Dollar General (NYSE: DG) and Dollar Tree (Nasdaq: DLTR) are both set to release fiscal first quarter earnings results before the market opens on Thursday, May 28. Let's break down the two companies with how the fundamental and technical indicators look ahead of those earnings reports.
Looking at the fundamental ratings from Tickeron, we see that the companies have similar ratings in three categories, but Dollar General scores much better when it comes to the Profit vs. Risk Rating and it also scores better in the P/E Growth Rating category.
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points refers to the least successful stocks for that industry.
Dollar Tree's Valuation (68) in the Discount Stores industry is in the same range as Dollar General (77). This means that the two stocks are priced similarly in terms of the valuation based on price-t0-earnings, price to book, price to sales, and projected growth (PEG ratio).
Dollar General's SMR Rating (48) is in the same range as Dollar Tree's (53). This means the companies have seen similar sales growth, similar return on equity readings and profit margins.
Dollar General's Price Growth Rating (41) in the Discount Stores industry is in the same range as Dollar Tree (54). This means that stock grew similarly at similar rates over the last 12 months.
Dollar General's P/E Growth Rating (20) is significantly better than Dollar Tree's (49). This means that Dollar General’s P/E growth has been better than Dollar Tree's over the last 12 months.
Dollar General's Profit vs Risk Rating (2) is significantly better than the same rating for Dollar Tree (91). This is a very wide discrepancy and suggests that Dollar General is a better investment right now.
The overall fundamental ratings tend to favor Dollar General over Dollar Tree. Looking at the AI predictions for each stock we see that both generated signals four days ago, but the signal for Dollar Tree was bearish and the signal for Dollar General was bullish.
The predictions go along with what the stocks have done over the past year. From May 2, 2019 through May 22, 2020, Dollar General is up 47.91% while Dollar Tree is down 17.95%. If we look at the weekly charts for the two stocks we see that Dollar General has doubled in price over the last two years, but the stock is also overbought based on its weekly stochastic indicators.
Dollar Tree is actually lower than where it was two years ago, but it was higher in the middle. The stock traded between $80 and $90 for most of Q4 2018 and then rose to almost $120 in October 2019 before falling for the last eight months.
What's really concerning about Dollar Tree's chart are the big drawdowns in May '18, August '18, and November '19 were all the result of earnings announcements. This signifies that the stock has a propensity for gapping lower after earnings reports.
Dollar Tree did just move back above its 13-week moving average and that could be a good sign for the stock. If we look at where the technical analysis indicators are for both stocks, we see that there are more positive results for Dollar Tree than Dollar General.
The table above shows that the AROON Indicator, MACD, Momentum Indicator, and Moving Averages have all signaled bullishly for Dollar Tree and there haven't been any bearish signals from the technical indicators. For Dollar General, there is only one bullish signal (Momentum), but three bearish signals from the Stochastic readings, MACD, and the Bollinger Bands.
Taking all of this in to account, a slight
Based on the AI signals and the fundamental indicators, I would have to give the edge to Dollar General. There is also the matter of Dollar Tree falling sharply after three different earnings reports over the last few years.
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Harry Richardson — Algorithmic Trader & Strategy Developer Harry is an algorithmic trader specializing in impulse and breakout trading strategies across cryptocurrency and equity markets. With more than 10 years of experience in developing automated trading systems, he focuses on building structured algorithms designed to capture momentum while maintaining strict risk control. His approach combines quantitative analysis, real-market execution, and continuous performance monitoring. Vitalii prioritizes risk management, drawdown control, and strategy stability over short-term optimization, ensuring algorithms are adaptable to changing market conditions. He has developed and tested hundreds of automated strategies, working extensively with live trading environments, forward testing, and portfolio-level algorithm management. His work centers on transforming trading ideas into fully operational, scalable automated systems.
Momentum Indicator for DG turns negative, indicating new downward trend
DG saw its Momentum Indicator move below the 0 level on September 28, 2026. This is an indication that the stock could be shifting in to a new downward move. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 91 similar instances where the indicator turned negative. In 67 of the 91 cases, the stock moved further down in the following days. The odds of a decline are at 74%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bearish Trend Analysis
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for DG turned negative on September 10, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 48 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In 33 of the 48 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at 69%.
DG moved below its 50-day moving average on September 29, 2026 date and that indicates a change from an upward trend to a downward trend.
The 10-day moving average for DG crossed bearishly below the 50-day moving average on September 22, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted lower and could be considered a sell signal. In 7 of 11 past instances when the 10-day crossed below the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 64%.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where DG declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 63%.
DG broke above its upper Bollinger Band on September 01, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
The Aroon Indicator for DG entered a downward trend on October 05, 2026. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Stochastic Oscillator demonstrated that the ticker has stayed in the oversold zone for 2 days, which means it's wise to expect a price bounce in the near future.
Following a +0.33% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where DG advanced for three days, in 198 of 312 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 63%.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 47 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 54 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating fairly steady price growth. DG’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 57 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to average earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 65 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (2.954) is normal, around the industry mean (7.191). P/E Ratio (16.152) is within average values for comparable stocks, (36.397). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (1.653) is also within normal values, averaging (2.171). Dividend Yield (0.019) settles around the average of (0.009) among similar stocks. DG's P/S Ratio (0.624) is slightly lower than the industry average of (1.008).
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 85 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 100 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating that the returns do not compensate for the risks. DG’s unstable profits reported over time resulted in significant Drawdowns within these last five years. A stable profit reduces stock drawdown and volatility. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 63, placing this stock worse than average.
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an operator of retail stores
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