How did DG's apparel segment perform in 2024?

Dollar General's (DG) apparel segment faced challenges in 2024, as evidenced by the decline in diluted EPS and net income in the first three quarters compared to the previous year, along with a slight increase in the fourth quarter. However, total revenue showed a consistent upward trend throughout the year. Here's a detailed analysis:

1. **Financial Performance**:
- The diluted EPS for Q1 2024 was $2.34, which decreased to $2.13 by Q2 2024 and further dropped to $1.26 by Q3 2024. There was a slight improvement in the fourth quarter, with the diluted EPS reaching $1.83.
- The net income also followed a similar trend, starting at $514.38 million in Q1 2024, decreasing to $468.84 million by Q2 2024, and then dropping to $276.25 million by Q3 2024. The fourth quarter saw a slight increase to $401.81 million.

|code|Ticker|Name|Date|Total Revenue|Net Income|Diluted EPS|market_code|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|DG|DG.N|Dollar General|2024 Q1|9.342832E9|5.1438E8|2.34|169|
|DG|DG.N|Dollar General|2024 Q2|9.796181E9|4.68835E8|2.13|169|
|DG|DG.N|Dollar General|2024 Q3|9.694082E9|2.76246E8|1.26|169|
|DG|DG.N|Dollar General|2024 Q4|9.858514E9|4.01813E8|1.83|169|

2. **Revenue Trend**:
- Despite the fluctuations in profitability, total revenue consistently increased throughout the year, reaching $9.34 billion in Q1 2024, $9.8 billion in Q2 2024, $9.69 billion in Q3 2024, and $9.86 billion in Q4 2024.
3. **Conclusion**: While DG's apparel segment experienced a decline in profitability in the first three quarters of 2024, the total revenue continued to grow, indicating that the company's overall performance was not negatively impacted. The slight improvement in net income in the fourth quarter suggests that the segment may be stabilizing, but further analysis of the underlying factors affecting profitability is needed.

In summary, DG's apparel segment faced a challenging year in 2024, with a decline in profitability in the first three quarters, but showed resilience with consistent revenue growth and a slight improvement in net income in the fourth quarter.