Dollar General forecasts higher sales, profit

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dollar General Corp <DG.N> posted a higher quarterly profit as more shoppers visited the discount chain for gifts and food during the holiday season and said it expected sales and earnings to rise again this fiscal year.

The company, which has more than 9,300 stores in 35 U.S. states, earned $222.5 million, or 64 cents per share, in the fourth quarter ended on January 28, up from $87.2 million, or 26 cents per share, a year earlier.

Sales rose 9.4 percent to $3.49 billion, while sales at stores open at least a year, or same-store sales, rose 3.8 percent.

(Reporting by Phil Wahba in New York and Jessica Hall in Chicago; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)