DG vs. LOW

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

DG (Dollar General Corporation) and LOW (Lowe's Companies, Inc.) are both stocks. DG operates in Discount Stores (Consumer Defensive), while LOW operates in Home Improvement Retail (Consumer Cyclical). Over the past 10 years, DG returned 2.93%/yr vs 12.33%/yr for LOW. At a 0.37 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

DG vs. LOW - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Dollar General Corporation (DG) and Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DG achieves a -18.82% return, which is significantly lower than LOW's -12.96% return. Over the past 10 years, DG has underperformed LOW with an annualized return of 2.93%, while LOW has yielded a comparatively higher 12.33% annualized return.

DG

• 1D: 3.01%
• 1M: -5.71%
• YTD: -18.82%
• 6M: -13.27%
• 1Y: -3.96%
• 3Y*: -9.41%
• 5Y*: -10.79%
• 10Y*: 2.93%

LOW

• 1D: -1.31%
• 1M: -9.26%
• YTD: -12.96%
• 6M: -14.26%
• 1Y: -5.86%
• 3Y*: 1.78%
• 5Y*: 3.71%
• 10Y*: 12.33%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

DG vs. LOW - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
DG Dollar General Corporation	-18.82%	79.61%	-43.12%	-44.13%	5.57%	13.01%	35.89%	45.71%	17.55%	26.92%
LOW Lowe's Companies, Inc.	-12.96%	-0.33%	13.01%	14.03%	-21.49%	63.34%	36.40%	32.23%	1.22%	33.29%

Correlation

The correlation between DG and LOW is 0.35, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.35
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.25
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.33
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.38
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 16, 2009	0.37

The correlation between DG and LOW shifts across timeframes, from 0.25 (3 years) to 0.38 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap DG : $23.67B LOW : $116.46B
EPS DG : $7.07 LOW : $11.86
PE Ratio DG : 15.10 LOW : 17.54
PS Ratio DG : 0.55 LOW : 1.32
Total Revenue (TTM) DG : $43.08B LOW : $88.43B
Gross Profit (TTM) DG : $13.28B LOW : $29.89B
EBITDA (TTM) DG : $3.06B LOW : $11.50B

Return for Risk

DG vs. LOW — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

DG

DG Risk / Return Rank: 36
DG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 37
DG Sortino Ratio Rank: 33
DG Omega Ratio Rank: 32
DG Calmar Ratio Rank: 39
DG Martin Ratio Rank: 37

LOW

LOW Risk / Return Rank: 31
LOW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 32
LOW Sortino Ratio Rank: 28
LOW Omega Ratio Rank: 28
LOW Calmar Ratio Rank: 35
LOW Martin Ratio Rank: 33

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

DG vs. LOW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Dollar General Corporation (DG) and Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	DG	LOW	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	-0.12	-0.23	+0.11
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.08	-0.16	+0.24
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.01	0.98	+0.03
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.11	-0.21	+0.10
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	-0.28	-0.49	+0.21
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DG vs. LOW - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DG Sharpe Ratio is -0.12, which is higher than the LOW Sharpe Ratio of -0.23. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DG and LOW, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	DG	LOW	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.12	-0.23	+0.11
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.30	0.14	-0.44
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.09	0.42	-0.33
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.37	0.46	-0.09

Drawdowns

DG vs. LOW - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DG drawdown since its inception was -72.61%, which is greater than LOW's maximum drawdown of -62.52%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DG and LOW.

Drawdown Indicators

	DG	LOW	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-72.61%	-62.52%	-10.09%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-34.57%	-27.75%	-6.82%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-58.78%	-27.75%	-31.03%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-72.61%	-33.86%	-38.75%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-72.61%	-48.63%	-23.98%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-56.10%	-27.29%	-28.81%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-15.80%	-16.60%	+0.80%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	14.29%	11.96%	+2.33%

Volatility

DG vs. LOW - Volatility Comparison

Dollar General Corporation (DG) has a higher volatility of 13.21% compared to Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW) at 6.36%. This indicates that DG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than LOW based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DG	LOW	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	13.21%	6.36%	+6.85%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	25.91%	19.88%	+6.03%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	34.58%	25.77%	+8.81%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	36.02%	26.15%	+9.87%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	31.55%	29.14%	+2.41%

Dividends

DG vs. LOW - Dividend Comparison

DG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.21%, less than LOW's 2.31% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DG Dollar General Corporation	2.21%	1.78%	3.11%	1.30%	1.06%	0.69%	0.67%	0.80%	1.05%	0.84%	1.35%	1.22%
LOW Lowe's Companies, Inc.	2.31%	1.95%	1.82%	1.93%	1.86%	1.08%	1.40%	1.72%	1.93%	1.64%	1.77%	1.34%

Financials

DG vs. LOW - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Dollar General Corporation and Lowe's Companies, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

DG - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Dollar General Corporation reported a gross profit of 3.41B and revenue of 10.79B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 31.6%.

LOW - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Lowe's Companies, Inc. reported a gross profit of 7.54B and revenue of 23.08B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 32.7%.

DG - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Dollar General Corporation reported an operating income of 638.52M and revenue of 10.79B, resulting in an operating margin of 5.9%.

LOW - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Lowe's Companies, Inc. reported an operating income of 2.55B and revenue of 23.08B, resulting in an operating margin of 11.1%.

DG - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Dollar General Corporation reported a net income of 444.13M and revenue of 10.79B, resulting in a net margin of 4.1%.

LOW - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Lowe's Companies, Inc. reported a net income of 1.63B and revenue of 23.08B, resulting in a net margin of 7.1%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both DG and LOW in my portfolio?

DG and LOW have a correlation of 0.35, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, DG or LOW?

DG has higher volatility (13.21%) compared to LOW (6.36%). In terms of maximum drawdown, DG dropped -72.61% vs LOW's -62.52%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

DG currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (-0.12 vs -0.23), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.