Deutsche Bank downgrades Dollar General on margin pressures, names Costco top pick

Investing.com -- Deutsche Bank (ETR:DBKGn) downgraded Dollar General (NYSE:DG) to Hold from Buy on continued margin headwinds and competitive pressures in the dollar store sector.

The brokerage lowered its price target to $80 from $90 amid concerns over softer sales, increased markdowns, and slower store growth.

There are multiple challenges for Dollar General, like wage pressures, weaker discretionary sales, and a lagging e-commerce presence.

“We expect multiple margin headwinds to continue through 2025,” analyst at DB said.

Deutsche Bank sees limited visibility for improvement in 2025 and does not expect the company’s planned expansion of same-day delivery to meaningfully boost sales in the near term.

Despite overall retail sector volatility, Deutsche Bank remains positive on value and convenience-driven retailers, with Costco (NASDAQ:COST) as its top pick.

The firm also prefers Dollar Tree (NASDAQ:DLTR) over Dollar General, citing better positioning for growth through its multi-price strategy and the potential sale of Family Dollar.

“Top-line performance remains soft with limited visibility for improvement, and we think the company’s lagging ecommerce presence is a growing concern in an increasingly digital and convenience-focused retail landscape,” Deutsche Bank said.