A Preview Of Dollar General's Earnings

On Thursday, August 26, Dollar General DG will release its latest earnings report. Benzinga's report can help you figure out the ins and outs of the earnings release.

Net Income, Earnings, And Earnings Per Share

Earnings and especially earnings per share (EPS) are useful measures of a company's profitability. Total earnings, which is also referred to as net income, equals total revenue minus total expenses. EPS equals to net income divided by the number of shares outstanding.

Earnings And Revenue

Dollar General earnings will be near $2.57 per share on sales of $8.59 billion, according to analysts. In the same quarter last year, Dollar General reported earnings per share of $3.12 on revenue of $8.68 billion.

Why Analyst Estimates And Earnings Surprises Are Important

Wall Street analysts who study this company will publish analyst estimates of revenue and EPS. The averages of all analyst EPS and revenue estimates are called the "consensus estimates"; these consensus estimates can have a significant effect on a company's performance during an earnings release. When a company posts earnings or revenue above or below a consensus estimate, it has posted an "earnings surprise", which can really move a stock depending on the difference between actual and estimated values.

The Wall Street estimate would represent a 17.63% decline in the company's earnings. Revenue would be down 1.08% from the same quarter last year. Here is how the Dollar General's reported EPS has stacked up against analyst estimates in the past:

Want Real-Time Earnings Calendar Updates?

Benzinga consistently updates its earnings calendars to stay up-to-date with the latest company earnings reports. Check out the full earnings calendar list updated in real-time by following this link.

Stock Performance

For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 16.43%. Given that these returns are generally positive, long-term shareholders are probably relaxed going into this earnings release. Long-term shareholders are already enjoying 12-month gains prior to the announcement.

Do not be surprised to see the stock move on comments made during its conference call. Dollar General is scheduled to hold the call at 10:00:00 ET and can be accessed here.