Dollar Tree Beats Profit Estimates, Outlook Falls Short

Dollar Tree Inc. said Wednesday it had net income of $206.6 million, or $1.00 a share, in the fourth quarter, compared with $213 million, or $1.02 a share, in the same period a year ago. Excluding acquisition-related costs, EPS came to $1.16, ahead of the FactSet consensus of $1.14. Sales rose 10.8% to $2.48 billion, compared with the FactSet consensus of $2.47 billion. The company, which is still awaiting a decision from the Federal Trade Commission on its bid to acquire Family Dollar, said it expects first-quarter sales to range from $2.15 billion to $2.20 billion, compared with the current FactSet consensus of $2.206 billion. First-quarter EPS is expected to range from 69 cents to 74 cents, below the FactSet consensus of 77 cents. Shares were not yet active in premarket trade, but have gained 16% in the last three months, while the S&P 500 has gained about 2%.