Dollar General Corp. vs CarMax, Inc — how do they compare? Dollar General Corp. trades at $118.64 (market cap $26.49B), while CarMax, Inc trades at $57.34 (market cap $8.26B). The key difference: Dollar General Corp. is far larger — about 3.2× CarMax, Inc's market cap, and Dollar General Corp. pays a 1.97% dividend while CarMax, Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| DG | KMX | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $26.49B | $8.26B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $156.26 | $62.17 |
52-Week Low | $95.94 | $30.88 |
Enterprise Value | $40.93B | $26.77B |
Dividend Yield | 1.97% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Dollar General (DG) trades at $122.39, down 3.32% on the day, with a bearish technical signal. The stock shows strong fundamentals with a P/E of 16.98 and P/S of 0.62, indicating potential undervaluation. Recent earnings have consistently beaten estimates, with Q1 2026 EPS of $2.00 surpassing the $1.89 expectation. Positive cash flow trends and a declining debt-to-asset ratio (20.03 in 2025) support financial health. A dividend of $0.59 is scheduled for payment on July 21, 2026.
The outlook is cautiously optimistic, with a consensus price target of $128.45 offering ~5% upside. Analyst sentiment is bullish (52% Buy ratings), but risks include competitive pressure from Walmart and Amazon, margin compression from rising costs, and market saturation. Revenue growth is projected to reach $43.1B in 2026, though net margin remains thin at 3.63%.
CarMax (KMX) trades at $58.78, up 1.03% today, with a bullish technical signal and strong analyst support. Recent earnings have beaten expectations, with Q3 2025 and Q1 2026 EPS surpassing estimates, though Q2 2025 missed. Revenue remains stable around $26.4 billion, but net income margin is thin at 0.84%. The stock is near its consensus price target of $53.09, with a high target of $66.00. Positive news includes a Zacks Strong Buy rating and partnerships to enhance customer experience.
The outlook for KMX is cautiously optimistic, driven by earnings beats and bullish technicals, but high debt and margin pressures pose risks. Investment opportunity lies in continued execution and market share gains, while risks include competitive pressures and economic sensitivity. Analyst consensus leans Hold, with 68.58% holding, suggesting a wait-and-see approach for further growth confirmation.
Trailing returns across standard periods
A leading American discount retailer, Dollar General operates over 18,000 stores in 47 states, selling branded and private-label products across a wide variety of categories. In fiscal 2021, 77% of net sales came from consumables (including paper and cleaning products, packaged and perishable food, tobacco, and health and beauty items), 12% from seasonal merchandise (such as toys, greeting cards, decorations, and gardening supplies), 7% from home products (for example, kitchen supplies, small appliances, and cookware), and 4% from basic apparel. Stores average roughly 7,400 square feet, and about 75% of Dollar General locations are in towns of 20,000 or fewer people. The firm emphasizes value, with most of its items sold at everyday low prices of $5 or less.
Read more on DG →CarMax sells, finances, and services used and new cars through a chain of over 230 used retail stores. It was formed in 1993 as a unit of Circuit City and spun off into an independent company in late 2002. Used-vehicle sales typically account for about 83% of revenue and wholesale about 13%, with the remaining portion composed of extended service plans and repair. In fiscal 2022, the company retailed and wholesaled 924,338 and 706,212 used vehicles, respectively. CarMax is the largest used-vehicle retailer in the U.S. but still estimates that it has only about 4% U.S. market share of vehicles 0-10 years old in 2021. It seeks over 5% share by the end of calendar 2025 and revenue between $33 billion to $45 billion by fiscal 2026. CarMax is based in Richmond, Virginia.
Read more on KMX →