Advertisement
DG vs EL
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Dollar General (DG) vs. The Estée Lauder Companies (EL) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- DG has delivered superior year-to-date returns of approximately 16%, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 0.65% and rivaling EL's 10% gains in recent market activity.
- Both stocks operate in consumer staples but diverge in subsectors: DG in discount retail with strong momentum from rural expansion, while EL in prestige beauty faces valuation pressures despite earnings beats.
- Recent quarters show resilience: DG posted Q3 net sales up 4.6% with EPS beats, and EL Q2 organic sales growth of 4% with raised FY2026 guidance.
- DG's trailing P/E around 26 contrasts with EL's elevated forward P/E over 43, highlighting differing growth expectations and risk profiles.
- Year-long performance favors DG at over 99% gains versus EL's 56%, driven by consistent outperformance amid economic shifts.
Introduction
This stock comparison between DG and EL examines two consumer staples leaders navigating distinct market dynamics. Dollar General thrives in value-oriented discount retail, appealing to budget-conscious shoppers, while The Estée Lauder Companies dominates prestige beauty with global brand power. Traders seeking momentum plays may eye DG's recent surge, while long-term investors could assess EL's recovery potential post-earnings. In today's environment of shifting consumer spending and sector rotation, this analysis highlights relative performance, growth drivers, and positioning for informed stock comparison decisions.
DG Overview and Recent Performance
Dollar General Corporation (DG), a leading discount retailer with over 20,900 stores primarily in rural U.S. areas, focuses on everyday essentials at low prices. In recent market activity, the stock has shown robust momentum, climbing about 6% over the past month and 16% year-to-date, outpacing the S&P 500. Shares recently traded near $154, close to the 52-week high of $155, with a market cap around $34 billion and trailing P/E of 26. Q3 fiscal 2025 results featured net sales up 4.6% to $10.6 billion and same-store sales growth of 2.5%, bolstered by traffic increases. Plans for 450 new stores in 2026 and upcoming Q4 earnings on March 12 underscore expansion efforts. Positive analyst momentum and Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) reflect sentiment shifts from resilient consumer demand in value channels, though a recent downgrade highlights sales outlook concerns.
EL Overview and Recent Performance
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (EL), a global prestige beauty giant with brands like Estée Lauder and La Mer, operates in skincare, makeup, and fragrance across key markets. Recent weeks have seen shares around $115, up about 10% year-to-date and 56% over the past year, with a $42 billion market cap and forward P/E exceeding 43. Fiscal Q2 2026 delivered organic net sales growth of 4%, driven by 6% skincare gains and double-digit travel retail recovery in China, alongside EPS of $0.89 beating estimates. Gross margins improved despite tariff pressures, prompting raised FY2026 guidance for 1-3% organic growth and EPS of $2.25-$2.50. Shares rose post-earnings but faced downgrades like HSBC to Hold amid valuation worries and Americas demand softness. Trading near the 52-week high of $122 from a low of $48, performance reflects brand innovation and efficiency gains, tempered by travel retail risks.
Trending AI Robots
Tickeron’s Trending AI Robots page showcases the platform's top-performing AI trading bots, curated from hundreds of algorithms that analyze thousands of tickers across stocks, ETFs, and crypto. These bots employ diverse strategies like AI/ML pattern recognition, swing trading, hedging, and volatility plays, with timeframes from 15 minutes to 10 days. Standouts include semiconductor-focused bots with annualized returns up to 108%, win rates of 70-75%, and profit factors over 4, alongside aerospace and infrastructure agents hitting 124% returns and 75% win rates. Overall, trending bots display ranges like 60-95% win rates, profit factors of 1.9-4.7, and drawdowns under $12,000 on $100,000 balances, often outperforming the S&P 500. Traders can subscribe to copy these signals for real-time execution tailored to current conditions.
Head-to-Head Comparison
DG and EL both anchor consumer staples resilience but contrast sharply in business models: DG's high-volume, low-margin discount retail targets value seekers amid inflation, while EL's premium beauty relies on aspirational spending and global prestige. Growth drivers differ—DG leverages rural store expansions (450 planned for 2026) and same-store traffic, versus EL's skincare innovation and China rebound. Recent momentum favors DG with 99% one-year gains and YTD leadership, outpacing EL's 56% annual rise despite Q2 beats. Risk factors include DG's sensitivity to consumer downgrading and analyst downgrades on margins, contrasted by EL's exposure to travel retail volatility and high valuation. Sector exposure tilts DG toward domestic retail stability, EL to international luxury cycles. Market sentiment leans positive for both via earnings momentum, but DG's lower beta (0.25) signals steadier positioning versus EL's 1.11.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors DG over EL, based on stronger trend consistency, superior relative YTD and one-year performance, and lower volatility in recent market conditions. DG's expansion catalysts and outperformance versus benchmarks like the S&P 500 suggest higher probability of sustained momentum, while EL's elevated forward multiples introduce caution despite margin improvements. This positioning aligns with observable stability and growth signals.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full Disclaimers and Limitations.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is DG is a StrongBuy and EL is a Buy.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
DG’s FA Score shows that 1 FA rating(s) are green whileEL’s FA Score has 1 green FA rating(s).
- DG’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- EL’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
DG’s TA Score shows that 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while EL’s TA Score has 6 bullish TA indicator(s).
- DG’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 4 bearish.
- EL’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
DG (@Discount Stores) experienced а -8.60% price change this week, while EL (@Household/Personal Care) price change was +1.75% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Discount Stores industry was -1.90%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -3.57%, and the average quarterly price growth was +5.62%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Household/Personal Care industry was +0.54%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +0.50%, and the average quarterly price growth was -5.08%.
Reported Earning Dates
DG is expected to report earnings on Jun 02, 2026.
EL is expected to report earnings on Aug 19, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Discount Stores (-1.90% weekly)Companies in the discount stores industry specialize in offering substantial discounts on a vast array of retail products. Some companies in this industry also operate general merchandise warehouse clubs. Products sold at discount stores are typically similar to those of any department store, but the pricing of the goods is generally much lower (and hence the name “discount”). Think Dollar General Corporation, Dollar Tree, Inc. and Five Below, Inc. Many discount stores target low-income households and/or price-sensitive consumers as their potential market. Discount stores’ profitability could hinge on factors like competitive pricing, sufficient locations, healthy revenue per square foot, and effective advertisement. These store operators could have an edge over other retailers during financial crises or recessions, when many consumers could be looking for less expensive alternatives.
@Household/Personal Care (+0.54% weekly)Household/Personal Care companies sell products for home cleaning and/or personal hygiene and grooming purposes. Products of this industry include detergents, shampoos, soaps, cosmetics, fabric conditioners and infant care fragrances. Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Estee Lauder and Colgate-Palmolive are some of the biggest names in the business. A lot of the products become a necessary part of people’s daily routine, and therefore the industry is relatively less vulnerable to macroeconomic downturns. At the same time, product quality, consumer safety, and ease of use are extremely critical factors for a company to survive competition and earn recognition in this industry.
| DG | EL | DG / EL | |
| Capitalization | 23B | 29.9B | 77% |
| EBITDA | 3.24B | 1.32B | 246% |
| Gain YTD | -20.483 | -20.732 | 99% |
| P/E Ratio | 15.27 | 147.80 | 10% |
| Revenue | 42.7B | 14.8B | 289% |
| Total Cash | 1.14B | 3.13B | 36% |
| Total Debt | 15.7B | 9.3B | 169% |
DG | EL | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 61 | 15 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 32 Undervalued | 57 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 100 | 100 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 47 | 92 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 60 | 46 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 64 | 26 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | n/a |
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 to the least successful stocks for that industry.
DG's Valuation (32) in the Discount Stores industry is in the same range as EL (57) in the Household Or Personal Care industry. This means that DG’s stock grew similarly to EL’s over the last 12 months.
DG's Profit vs Risk Rating (100) in the Discount Stores industry is in the same range as EL (100) in the Household Or Personal Care industry. This means that DG’s stock grew similarly to EL’s over the last 12 months.
DG's SMR Rating (47) in the Discount Stores industry is somewhat better than the same rating for EL (92) in the Household Or Personal Care industry. This means that DG’s stock grew somewhat faster than EL’s over the last 12 months.
EL's Price Growth Rating (46) in the Household Or Personal Care industry is in the same range as DG (60) in the Discount Stores industry. This means that EL’s stock grew similarly to DG’s over the last 12 months.
EL's P/E Growth Rating (26) in the Household Or Personal Care industry is somewhat better than the same rating for DG (64) in the Discount Stores industry. This means that EL’s stock grew somewhat faster than DG’s over the last 12 months.
| DG | EL | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 69% | 2 days ago 67% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 64% | 2 days ago 70% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 67% | 2 days ago 65% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 67% | 6 days ago 56% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 65% | 2 days ago 65% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 67% | 2 days ago 66% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 8 days ago 62% | 7 days ago 63% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 63% | 14 days ago 74% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 55% | 2 days ago 75% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 45% | 2 days ago 67% |
Advertisement
| 1 Day | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs / NAME | Price $ | Chg $ | Chg % |
| CSNR | 37.54 | 0.66 | +1.78% |
| Cohen & Steers Natural Resources Act ETF | |||
| JMID | 31.10 | 0.13 | +0.44% |
| Janus Henderson Mid Cap Growth Alpha ETF | |||
| HUSV | 38.63 | 0.02 | +0.06% |
| First Trust Hrzn MgdVolatil Domestic ETF | |||
| FLRN | 30.77 | 0.01 | +0.03% |
| State Street® SPDR® Blmbg InvGrdFltRtETF | |||
| PTMC | 39.94 | -0.11 | -0.27% |
| Pacer Trendpilot™ US Mid Cap ETF | |||
DG and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, DG has been loosely correlated with DLTR. These tickers have moved in lockstep 55% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if DG jumps, then DLTR could also see price increases.
EL and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, EL has been loosely correlated with ELF. These tickers have moved in lockstep 43% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if EL jumps, then ELF could also see price increases.