ACI vs. DLTR: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on July 7, 2025

Here’s a clear look at ACI and DLTR, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Overview

DLTR’s market capitalization of 21.27 billion USD is significantly greater than ACI’s 12.63 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.

DLTR carries a higher beta at 0.84, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while ACI (beta: 0.31) exhibits greater stability.

Symbol	ACI	DLTR
Company Name	Albertsons Companies, Inc.	Dollar Tree, Inc.
Country	US	US
Sector	Consumer Defensive	Consumer Defensive
Industry	Grocery Stores	Discount Stores
CEO	Susan D. Morris	Michael C. Creedon Jr.
Price	21.93 USD	101.91 USD
Market Cap	12.63 billion USD	21.27 billion USD
Beta	0.31	0.84
Exchange	NYSE	NASDAQ
IPO Date	June 26, 2020	March 7, 1995
ADR	No	No

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of ACI and DLTR by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

ACI vs. DLTR: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Profitability

Return on Equity

ACI

30.23%

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 41.83%
Q3: 33.21%
Median: 17.57%
Q1: 4.85%
Min: -1.90%

ACI’s Return on Equity of 30.23% is on par with the norm for the Grocery Stores industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

DLTR

-52.18%

Discount Stores Industry

Max: 31.68%
Q3: 28.60%
Median: 15.53%
Q1: 12.21%
Min: 12.12%

DLTR has a negative Return on Equity of -52.18%. This indicates the company is generating a loss for its shareholders, which can be a result of unprofitability or negative shareholder equity and is often a sign of financial distress.

ACI vs. DLTR: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Grocery Stores and Discount Stores industry benchmarks.

Return on Invested Capital

ACI

6.91%

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 9.72%
Q3: 6.86%
Median: 5.47%
Q1: 3.42%
Min: 1.05%

In the upper quartile for the Grocery Stores industry, ACI’s Return on Invested Capital of 6.91% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.

DLTR

6.51%

Discount Stores Industry

Max: 20.02%
Q3: 12.27%
Median: 11.13%
Q1: 6.51%
Min: 5.03%

DLTR’s Return on Invested Capital of 6.51% is in line with the norm for the Discount Stores industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.

ACI vs. DLTR: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Grocery Stores and Discount Stores industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin

ACI

1.19%

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 5.53%
Q3: 3.00%
Median: 1.73%
Q1: 1.16%
Min: -1.36%

ACI’s Net Profit Margin of 1.19% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Grocery Stores industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

DLTR

-30.03%

Discount Stores Industry

Max: 2.92%
Q3: 2.92%
Median: 2.81%
Q1: 2.75%
Min: 2.75%

DLTR has a negative Net Profit Margin of -30.03%, indicating the company is operating at a net loss as its expenses exceeded its revenues.

ACI vs. DLTR: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Grocery Stores and Discount Stores industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin

ACI

2.05%

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 4.30%
Q3: 3.63%
Median: 2.32%
Q1: 1.32%
Min: 0.87%

ACI’s Operating Profit Margin of 2.05% is around the midpoint for the Grocery Stores industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

DLTR

10.47%

Discount Stores Industry

Max: 5.42%
Q3: 5.42%
Median: 4.33%
Q1: 3.93%
Min: 2.10%

DLTR’s Operating Profit Margin of 10.47% is exceptionally high, placing it well above the typical range for the Discount Stores industry. This demonstrates outstanding efficiency in managing its core operations, which can be a result of strong pricing power or superior cost control.

ACI vs. DLTR: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Grocery Stores and Discount Stores industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	ACI	DLTR
Return on Equity (TTM)	30.23%	-52.18%
Return on Assets (TTM)	3.58%	-16.33%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)	6.91%	6.51%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	1.19%	-30.03%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	2.05%	10.47%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	27.06%	64.83%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio

ACI

0.90

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 1.25
Q3: 1.20
Median: 1.00
Q1: 0.95
Min: 0.90

ACI’s Current Ratio of 0.90 falls into the lower quartile for the Grocery Stores industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

DLTR

1.04

Discount Stores Industry

Max: 1.25
Q3: 1.23
Median: 1.02
Q1: 0.78
Min: 0.74

DLTR’s Current Ratio of 1.04 aligns with the median group of the Discount Stores industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

ACI vs. DLTR: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Grocery Stores and Discount Stores industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

ACI

4.19

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 4.19
Q3: 2.56
Median: 1.41
Q1: 0.87
Min: 0.12

ACI’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Grocery Stores industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 4.19. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.

DLTR

1.40

Discount Stores Industry

Max: 2.34
Q3: 1.40
Median: 0.80
Q1: 0.31
Min: 0.20

DLTR’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.40 is typical for the Discount Stores industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

ACI vs. DLTR: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Grocery Stores and Discount Stores industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio

ACI

3.59

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 24.50
Q3: 16.36
Median: 5.08
Q1: 3.73
Min: -0.63

In the lower quartile for the Grocery Stores industry, ACI’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 3.59 indicates a tighter cushion for servicing debt, suggesting less financial flexibility than many of its competitors.

DLTR

12.53

Discount Stores Industry

Max: 18.46
Q3: 17.45
Median: 13.09
Q1: 10.49
Min: 1.08

DLTR’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 12.53 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Discount Stores industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

ACI vs. DLTR: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Grocery Stores and Discount Stores industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	ACI	DLTR
Current Ratio (TTM)	0.90	1.04
Quick Ratio (TTM)	0.22	0.72
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)	4.19	1.40
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)	0.53	0.30
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)	3.97	2.84
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	3.59	12.53

Growth

The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ACI and DLTR. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.

Revenue Growth

ACI vs. DLTR: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

ACI vs. DLTR: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth.

Free Cash Flow Growth

ACI vs. DLTR: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Free Cash Flow Growth.

Dividend

Dividend Yield

ACI

2.46%

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 5.28%
Q3: 2.38%
Median: 1.48%
Q1: 0.26%
Min: 0.00%

With a Dividend Yield of 2.46%, ACI offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Grocery Stores industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

DLTR

0.00%

Discount Stores Industry

Max: 4.51%
Q3: 0.91%
Median: 0.49%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

DLTR currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.

ACI vs. DLTR: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Grocery Stores and Discount Stores industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio

ACI

30.78%

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 4,966.68%
Q3: 30.78%
Median: 24.38%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ACI’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 30.78% is within the typical range for the Grocery Stores industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

DLTR

0.00%

Discount Stores Industry

Max: 44.99%
Q3: 36.65%
Median: 19.69%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

DLTR has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.

ACI vs. DLTR: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Grocery Stores and Discount Stores industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	ACI	DLTR
Dividend Yield (TTM)	2.46%	0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	30.78%	0.00%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio

ACI

13.26

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 35.78
Q3: 21.80
Median: 18.09
Q1: 11.47
Min: 8.82

ACI’s P/E Ratio of 13.26 is within the middle range for the Grocery Stores industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

DLTR

-7.29

Discount Stores Industry

Max: 55.76
Q3: 45.00
Median: 33.38
Q1: 22.25
Min: 10.79

DLTR has a negative P/E Ratio of -7.29. This occurs when a company has negative earnings (a net loss), making the ratio unsuitable for valuation analysis.

ACI vs. DLTR: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Grocery Stores and Discount Stores industry benchmarks.

Forward P/E to Growth Ratio

ACI

17.35

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 4.43
Q3: 3.62
Median: 2.13
Q1: 0.83
Min: 0.05

ACI’s Forward PEG Ratio of 17.35 is exceptionally high for the Grocery Stores industry. This suggests its stock price is very high relative to its expected earnings growth, signaling significant overvaluation risk.

DLTR

-2.12

Discount Stores Industry

Max: 5.06
Q3: 3.70
Median: 2.97
Q1: 2.24
Min: 1.25

DLTR has a negative Forward PEG Ratio of -2.12. This typically results from negative earnings or forecasts of declining future earnings, making the ratio not meaningful for valuation.

ACI vs. DLTR: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Grocery Stores and Discount Stores industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio

ACI

0.16

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 0.69
Q3: 0.45
Median: 0.28
Q1: 0.22
Min: 0.14

In the lower quartile for the Grocery Stores industry, ACI’s P/S Ratio of 0.16 indicates its revenue is valued more conservatively than most of its peers. This could present a compelling opportunity if the market has overlooked its sales-generating capabilities.

DLTR

2.14

Discount Stores Industry

Max: 2.07
Q3: 1.63
Median: 0.96
Q1: 0.64
Min: 0.43

With a P/S Ratio of 2.14, DLTR trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Discount Stores industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

ACI vs. DLTR: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Grocery Stores and Discount Stores industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio

ACI

3.75

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 5.54
Q3: 4.47
Median: 2.48
Q1: 1.04
Min: 0.41

ACI’s P/B Ratio of 3.75 is within the conventional range for the Grocery Stores industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

DLTR

5.57

Discount Stores Industry

Max: 16.12
Q3: 9.30
Median: 5.40
Q1: 3.27
Min: 2.73

DLTR’s P/B Ratio of 5.57 is within the conventional range for the Discount Stores industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

ACI vs. DLTR: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Grocery Stores and Discount Stores industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	ACI	DLTR
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)	13.26	-7.29
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)	17.35	-2.12
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)	0.16	2.14
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)	3.75	5.57
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)	16.85	14.46
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)	7.58	16.36
EV-to-Sales (TTM)	0.33	2.59