Which has grown faster, DG or EL?

Over the past five years, DG grew revenue faster — DG at a 5.03% CAGR versus EL at 0.17%.

Does DG or EL pay a bigger dividend?

DG yields 2.08% and EL yields 1.65% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is DG or EL more profitable?

DG runs the higher net margin — DG at 3.63% versus EL at -1.67%.

Which has been the better investment, DG or EL?

Over the past 10-year, DG delivered the higher annualized total return — DG at 3.69% versus EL at 0.47%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Dollar General Corporation (DG) vs The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (EL)

DG leads on 13 of 15 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Dollar General Corporation and The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 20, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

Dollar General Corporation

$25.04B

$113.45Consumer Defensive

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.

$30.67B

$84.81Consumer Defensive

Total return — DG vs EL

growth of $100 · last 17y

DG +399.1%EL +263.7%DG compounded faster

DG EL

DG vs EL: by the numbers

•EL is the larger company ($30.67B vs $25.04B market cap).
•DG is profitable (3.63% net margin) while EL runs a net loss (-1.67%).
•DG grew revenue faster over the past five years (5.03% vs 0.17% CAGR).
•DG pays the higher dividend yield (2.08% vs 1.65%).

Which is better, DG or EL?

Metric tally: DG 13 · EL 2

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

GrowthDG(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeDG(higher dividend yield)

QualityDG(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	DG	EL
P/E ratio	16.05	—
Forward P/E	14.23●	26.63
P/S ratio	0.58●	2.09
P/B ratio	2.84●	7.76
PEG ratio	0.61	—
EV / EBITDA	11.92●	27.69
FCF yield	11.51%●	4.15%

Profitability

Metric	DG	EL
Gross margin	30.83%	73.40%●
Operating margin	5.26%	7.56%●
Net margin	3.63%●	-1.67%
ROE	17.69%●	-6.21%
ROIC	6.64%●	6.44%

Dividends

Metric	DG	EL
Dividend yield	2.08%●	1.65%
Payout ratio	34.35%	—

Growth (annualized)

Metric	DG	EL
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	5.03%●	0.17%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	-8.48%●	-25.98%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	10.79%●	-12.95%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-10.37%●	-20.94%

Frequently asked

Which is better, DG or EL?: It depends on your goal. growth: DG (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: DG (higher dividend yield); quality: DG (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, DG leads 13 to 2.
Which has grown faster, DG or EL?: Over the past five years, DG grew revenue faster — DG at a 5.03% CAGR versus EL at 0.17%.
Does DG or EL pay a bigger dividend?: DG yields 2.08% and EL yields 1.65% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is DG or EL more profitable?: DG runs the higher net margin — DG at 3.63% versus EL at -1.67%.
Which has been the better investment, DG or EL?: Over the past 10-year, DG delivered the higher annualized total return — DG at 3.69% versus EL at 0.47%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full DG analysis Full EL analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Dollar General P/E ratio Estée Lauder Companies P/E ratio Dollar General dividend yield Estée Lauder Companies dividend yield Dollar General ROE Estée Lauder Companies ROE Dollar General operating margin Estée Lauder Companies operating margin Dollar General revenue growth Estée Lauder Companies revenue growth Dollar General free cash flow Estée Lauder Companies free cash flow

Dollar General & Estée Lauder Companies appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 20, 2026.