Shares of Dollar Tree Inc. DLTR were falling 3% in premarket action Wednesday after the discounter topped profit expectations for its most recent quarter but gave an earnings forecast for the current year that trailed the consensus view. The company recorded fourth-quarter net income of $452.2 million, or $2.04 a share, compared with net income of $454.2 million, or $2.01 a share, in the year-before period. Analysts tracked by FactSet were expecting $2.02 a share in earnings. Revenue ticked up to $7.72 billion from $7.08 billion, while the FactSet consensus was for $7.61 billion. Same-store sales rose 8.7% for the Dollar Tree segment, increased 5.8% for the Family Dollar segment, and rose 7.4% for the enterprise segment. The same-store sales performance was “evidence that the early transformation actions taken since last summer are already beginning to have a positive impact,” Chief Executive Rick Dreiling said in a release. For the current fiscal year, Dollar Tree anticipates $6.30 a share to $6.80 a share in earnings. The FactSet consensus was for $7.58 a share. The company also expects $29.9 billion to $30.5 billion in consolidated net sales, whereas analysts were modeling $29.8 billion.
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