BUZZ-Street View: Dollar General's dour forecasts reflect tougher growth path

** Discount store operator Dollar General DG.N on Thursday cut annual sales and profit forecasts on increasing competition and weaker discretionary demand

** Company's shares fell about 30% to a more than six-year low after the results

** At least 10 brokerages cut PT on company's shares, median PT $103 - LSEG

STIFF COMPETITION, INCREASED INVESTMENTS

** Telsey Advisory Group ("market perform", PT: $103) believes middle-income and slightly more affluent customers are increasing their spending at Walmart and other discount retailers

** Clouded visibility on timing and magnitude of gains from back to basics strategy initiatives likely to weigh on stock price performance in term - Telsey

** Piper Sandler ("", PT: $92) lack of strong digital strategy may be limiting share gains from middle- and higher-income customers

** "Expect DG several years of elevated investment that will make it difficult to grow EPS" - Piper Sandler

** Morgan Stanley ("equal weight", PT: $100) says DG would face "tougher path to growth"

(Reporting by Anuja Mistry in Bengaluru)

((AnujaBharat.Mistry@thomsonreuters.com))