Dollar General stock is back in the black for 2025
Discount retailer Dollar General Corp (NYSE:DG) is surging this morning, up 6% at $79.35, after reporting strong fourth-quarter earnings. The company posted earnings of $1.68 per share on revenue of $10.3 billion, exceeding Wall Street expectations. Despite plans to close 96 general stores and 45 pOpshelf locations this quarter, options traders are piling into the stock following the results.
Options volume is running hot, with 9,079 calls and 8,254 puts exchanged so far -- triple the average daily volume. The March 80 call and March 75 put are the most active contracts, with new positions being sold to open at the former.
Short-term buyers were circling puts ahead of the earnings release. This is per DG's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 1.18, which ranks in the 92nd percentile of its annual range.
Short sellers have been retreating, down nearly 18% over the past two reporting periods. This accounts for 4.8% of the stock's total available float, or almost three days' worth of pent-up buying power.
Today's outperformance has pushed DG back into the black for 2025, a welcome reprieve after the stock suffered a steep bear gap below $90 in late August. DG remains 50% lower year-over-year, and continues to face off with the resistant 160-day moving average.