Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. SFM scored 70.0, DLTR scored 73.9 — DLTR leads.
Compare another set
SFM
Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.
Grocery Stores · Quality-Growth
70
$65.14 · $6.1B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
3.9
DLTR leads
DLTR
Dollar Tree, Inc.
Discount Stores · Quality-Growth
73.9
$118.64 · $22.3B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
CheapestSFM12.5x
Fastest growthDLTR+8.2%
Strongest balance sheetSFM1.40
Highest qualityDLTR81 / 100
Largest discount to fair valueDLTR-35%
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/E multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
SFM
stronger →← stronger
DLTR
77
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
81
60
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
63
75
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
80
DLTR is stronger on 3 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
SFM
DLTR
$357mC
FCF
$2.0bC+
+7.2%B
Rev
+8.2%B
1.40C+
D/E
2.24C
12.5xA-
P/E
14.5xA-
1.39B
PEG
1.20B+
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
SFM
DLTR
22% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
35% below
~0%/yr
Growth the price impliesyr-1 FCF growth, fading to 4% · lower = less priced in
~-8%/yr
+22%
1-yr DCF upside
+63%
+28%
5-yr DCF upside
+55%
+37%
10-yr DCF upside
+43%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
SFM
Why this score
Buying back stock
Durable high returns
DLTR
Why this score
Buying back stock
Durable high returns
The companies
SFMSprouts Farmers Market, Inc.
Grocery Stores · $65.14 · beta 0.67
Why now
Grocery Stores · market cap $6.1b. Down 43% from 52-week high of $114.34 — deep drawdown territory. 14 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $93.57 (implying +44% upside).
Moat
ROE 34% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which.
Risk
Down 43% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up.
DLTRDollar Tree, Inc.
Discount Stores · $118.64 · beta 0.72
Why now
Discount Stores · market cap $22.3b. 17% off the 52-week high of $142.40. 26 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $136.15 (implying +15% upside).
Moat
ROE 47% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 123% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash.
Risk
D/E 2.24 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
The model favors SFM (67.6) over DLTR (63) primarily due to SFM's superior Growth pillar score of 68 compared to DLTR's 42. However, a contrarian might prefer DLTR for its substantial 41% discount to DCF fair value and a much lower implied growth rate of negative 10% per year.
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where SFM and DLTR diverge
On the headline score the gap is 3.9 points in favor of DLTR. The widest single difference is Value, where DLTR leads by 5.0 points.
ValueSFM 74.8 · DLTR 79.8DLTR +5.0
QualitySFM 77.0 · DLTR 80.6DLTR +3.6
GrowthSFM 59.6 · DLTR 62.6DLTR +3.0
Pillars run 0–100. Value is judged against each company's own sector, so a Value score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.
Common questions
Is DLTR or SFM the better stock?
DLTR scores higher: DLTR 73.9, SFM 70.0 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth score, which blends business quality, growth and valuation into one number. A higher score means a stronger business at a more reasonable price — it is not a price target or a recommendation.
Where do DLTR and SFM differ most?
The widest gap is value, where DLTR leads by 5 points on the 0–100 pillar scale. DLTR leads all three pillars, so the gap is broad rather than a single-measure difference.
How are DLTR and SFM scored?
Each carries the same 0–100 quality-growth score used everywhere on the site, built from three pillars — quality (profitability and returns on capital), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (what you pay for them) — combined as a geometric mean, so a weak pillar cannot be papered over by a strong one.
How current is this comparison?
The whole universe is re-scored every trading day after the US market close, so the scores and fundamentals here reflect the latest published edition.