DLTR vs GAP Stock Comparison
Compare DLTR and GAP across AIQ Score, fundamentals, valuation, momentum, risk, analyst expectations and current market evidence.
What is the main difference between DLTR and GAP?
GAP leads the current stock comparison as The Gap, Inc., with the clearest separation coming from momentum and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Dollar Tree, Inc. vs The Gap, Inc.
GAP leads
GAP leads by 11 AIQ points, primarily on Momentum and Value, having only recently taken the lead back from DLTR.
Fragile: 4 of 6 evidence groups support GAP, and the lead recently changed hands.
Dollar Tree, Inc.
The Gap, Inc.
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors GAP over DLTR, 58 versus 47 as of Sep 11, 2026. GAP's advantage is driven primarily by stronger momentum and value, while DLTR holds the stronger risk resilience profile. GAP also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor GAP today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the lead has already changed hands inside the comparison window. GAP lead: Reversed — DLTR led by 2 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; GAP now leads by 11.
Compare Dollar Tree, Inc. and The Gap, Inc. across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Price-return comparison using available daily close history.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000
Based on available close-price history. Distribution reinvestment is not added unless already reflected in the source series.
Compare DLTR and GAP against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Momentum33 vs 61GAP +28
- Value52 vs 67GAP +15
- Risk Resilience39 vs 29DLTR +10
- Quality57 vs 61GAP +4
4 of 6 evidence groups favor GAP. GAP’s edge is concentrated in momentum and value; DLTR keeps a meaningful risk resilience edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-09-10, compared against the prior scored session 2026-09-09.
Largest factor move: Momentum +2
No new signals fired.
No factor moved materially.
New signals
- MACD Bearish Crossover — bearish, momentum, short horizon
GAP's lead narrowed by 1 AIQ points in the latest snapshot.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — DLTR and GAP both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
GAP (The Gap, Inc.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by momentum and value.
DLTR (Dollar Tree, Inc.): the counter-case, on risk resilience.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
GAPGAP on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
GAPGAP on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
GAPGAP on the peer-relative Value factor, by 15 points.
Momentum
GAPGAP on the Momentum factor, by 28 points.
Lower downside
DLTRDLTR on Risk Resilience, by 10 points.
Analyst upside
GAPGAP on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
Where the systematic read and the analyst consensus line up — and where they do not.
| Measure | DLTR | GAP | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +10.8% | +17.3% | GAP has more room |
| Target dispersion | +57.3% | +87.2% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Hold | Hold | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 14 | 8 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor GAP. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | GAP | 47 vs 58 |
| Fundamentals | GAPon balance | revenue growth -1.7% vs 4.4%; EPS growth 53.4% vs 53.3%; TTM ROE 45.6% vs 33.1%; gross margin 38.7% vs 43.3%; operating margin 10.7% vs 11% — GAP takes 2 of 3 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | GAP | Value 52 vs 67 |
| Technicals | Even | Price vs 50-day -7.1% vs 5.5%; vs 200-day 1.1% vs -12.5% |
| Risk Resilience | DLTR | Risk Resilience 39 vs 29 |
| Analyst expectations | GAP | Target upside 10.8% vs 17.3% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of DLTR and GAP and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is moderate at 11 points.
- The lead has already changed hands inside the comparison window. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Analyst targets on the leader are widely dispersed. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on GAP.
How the comparison changed
119 daily snapshots · May 4 – Sep 10GAP lead: Reversed — DLTR led by 2 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; GAP now leads by 11.
- Today
- GAP +11
- 47 vs 58
- 7 sessions ago
- GAP +5
- 55 vs 60
- 30 sessions ago
- DLTR +2
- 54 vs 52
- 90 sessions ago
- DLTR +6
- 54 vs 48
The lead changed hands 5 times in this window, most recently on Aug 17 when DLTR moved ahead of GAP.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
2 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (8.32%)
- BB Lower Band Breach — bullish, volatility, short horizon
- Keltner Channel Breakdown — bearish, volatility, short horizon
0 bullish / 2 bearish / 2 neutral
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (17.18%)
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode — neutral, volatility, short horizon (4.23%)
DLTR is conflicted, so the timing case there is weaker than the score alone suggests.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price is down while the AIQ Score moved up 1 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price -0.41%, AIQ +1 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +2.87%, AIQ 0 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1DLTR closes the Momentum gap — currently 28 points behind, the largest single contributor to GAP's edge.
- 2DLTR's Keltner Channel Breakdown resolves — a bearish volatility rule currently active against it.
- 3GAP starts generating bearish momentum or trend signals.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
GAP leads on balance| Metric | DLTR | GAP |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | -1.7% | 4.4% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | 53.4% | 53.3% |
| Gross margin | 38.7% | 43.3% |
| Operating margin | 10.7% | 11% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 45.6% | 33.1% |
| Debt to equity | 2.24 | 1.45 |
Performance
DLTR leads 4 of 6 windows| Metric | DLTR | GAP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | -10% | -5.2% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -7.7% | 3.3% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | 7.6% | -0.9% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | 4.8% | -11.2% |
| Year to date | -3.5% | -18.3% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | 19.4% | -13.4% |
Technicals
Split| Metric | DLTR | GAP |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 38 | 57.5 |
| ADX (14) | 23 | 24.1 |
| Price vs 50-day | -7.1% | 5.5% |
| Price vs 200-day | 1.1% | -12.5% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 40% | 59.6% |
Risk
DLTR is the more resilient| Metric | DLTR | GAP |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 0.79 | 1.2 |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.61 | -0.15 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.23 | -0.2 |
| Max drawdown | -38.5% | -37% |
| Current drawdown | -16% | -28.2% |
| Annualized volatility | 41.7% | 47.1% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -3.9% | -3.9% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, DLTR or GAP?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, GAP is the stronger of the two as of Sep 11, 2026, scoring 58 against DLTR's 47. The edge comes from momentum and value. DLTR is not without a case — it holds the better risk resilience profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is DLTR or GAP the better buy right now?
GAP carries the stronger systematic profile as of Sep 11, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 4 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the lead has already changed hands inside the comparison window. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor GAP over DLTR?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. GAP leads Momentum by 28 points; GAP leads Value by 15 points; DLTR leads Risk Resilience by 10 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, DLTR or GAP?
Analyst price targets imply +10.8% upside for DLTR and +17.3% for GAP, so the Street currently favors GAP. The model and the Street agree here, which is a broader base of evidence than either alone. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, DLTR or GAP?
GAP is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. GAP on the peer-relative Value factor, by 15 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, DLTR or GAP?
GAP on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, DLTR or GAP?
GAP on the Momentum factor, by 28 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, DLTR or GAP?
DLTR is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. DLTR on Risk Resilience, by 10 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is DLTR more profitable than GAP?
The profitability evidence is mixed: gross margin 38.7% vs 43.3%; operating margin 10.7% vs 11%; ttm roe 45.6% vs 33.1%. Each name leads on one measure, and there is no single profitability composite that resolves the split — which of the two reads as "more profitable" depends on whether you weight pricing power or operating leverage.
Is GAP's lead over DLTR getting stronger or weaker?
GAP lead: Reversed — DLTR led by 2 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; GAP now leads by 11. This is measured from 119 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-05-04 and 2026-09-10. The lead has changed hands 5 times in that window, most recently on 2026-08-17, when DLTR moved ahead of GAP.
What would change the DLTR vs GAP verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: DLTR closes the Momentum gap — currently 28 points behind, the largest single contributor to GAP's edge; DLTR's Keltner Channel Breakdown resolves — a bearish volatility rule currently active against it; GAP starts generating bearish momentum or trend signals; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
What do the current signals say about DLTR and GAP?
DLTR: 2 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. GAP: 0 bullish / 2 bearish / 2 neutral. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on DLTR is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon). On GAP it is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon).
Compare DLTR and GAP with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.