Compare Dollar General Corp. (DG) vs Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Price & Performance
Price performance (Past 24H)
Key statistics
Key statistics
Dollar General Corp. vs Merck & Co., Inc. — how do they compare? Dollar General Corp. trades at $123.9 (market cap $27.42B), while Merck & Co., Inc. trades at $141.98 (market cap $351.28B). The key difference: Merck & Co., Inc. is far larger — about 12.8× Dollar General Corp.'s market cap, and Merck & Co., Inc. pays the higher dividend (2.39%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Dollar General Corp. for 59 Days and Merck & Co., Inc. for 98 Days on average.
| DG | MRK | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $27.42B | $351.28B |
Volume | 2,291,517 | 7,969,665 |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Health |
52-Week High | $156.26 | $156.43 |
52-Week Low | $95.94 | $82.49 |
Typical Hold Time | 59 Days | 98 Days |
Enterprise Value | $41.60B | $398.04B |
Dividend Yield | 1.9% | 2.39% |
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
DG trades at $122.16, down 0.89% on the day, with a neutral technical signal. The stock shows strong profitability with a 19.69% ROE and has beaten earnings estimates for the last three quarters. Recent news highlights margin benefits from tariff refunds and expansion of delivery services through Instacart. Cash flow from operations improved to $3.0 billion in 2025, supporting financial stability.
The outlook is positive with a consensus price target of $137.27, implying over 12% upside. Risks include competitive pressures and potential consumer spending weakness. Analyst sentiment is bullish with 55.77% buy ratings, but net income margin compression from 7.01% in 2022 to 2.77% in 2025 warrants monitoring.
Merck (MRK) trades at $142.79, up 0.61% today, with a bearish technical signal but strong fundamental performance. The company reported revenue of $65.01B in 2025 with a net income margin of 28.07%, and recent quarterly EPS have consistently beaten expectations. Merck is actively expanding its pipeline through acquisitions, such as the pending $6.7B purchase of Terns Pharmaceuticals announced in April 2026.
The outlook is supported by solid profitability and analyst optimism, with a consensus price target of $158.78 implying upside. Key risks include integration challenges from acquisitions and competitive pressures in the oncology sector. Cash flow trends show variability, with a projected net cash outflow of $1.2B in 2026 due to significant investing activities.
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Investor sentiment on Pluang
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
Investor sentiment on Pluang
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
No sentiment data available yet.
Top news
Latest headlines on both assets
Top news
Latest headlines on both assets
About Dollar General Corp.
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 →About Merck & Co., Inc.
Merck makes pharmaceutical products to treat several conditions in a number of therapeutic areas, including cardiometabolic disease, cancer, and infections. Within cancer, the firm's immuno-oncology platform is growing as a major contributor to overall sales. The company also has a substantial vaccine business, with treatments to prevent hepatitis B and pediatric diseases as well as HPV and shingles. Additionally, Merck sells animal health-related drugs. From a geographical perspective, just under half of the firm's sales are generated in the United States.
Read more on MRK →
