Shares of CVS and Dollar General made a turnaround due to their 'newfound sole survivor status,' Jim Cramer says

Core Viewpoint - CVS Health and Dollar General have recently seen stock gains due to their competitive positioning as the last major players in their respective sectors, benefiting from the decline of their top rivals [1][2][5] CVS Health - CVS experienced a significant turnaround after a substantial earnings beat in February and a positive outlook on restructuring its health insurance business [3] - The company reiterated its full-year forecast after multiple downward revisions last year, positioning itself as a "textbook recession-proof stock" [3] - CVS's recent strength is largely attributed to the struggles of its main competitor, Walgreens, which announced plans to go private, potentially leading to more store closures [3][5] - The bankruptcy of Rite Aid further solidifies CVS's position as largely unchallenged in the drugstore market [3] Dollar General - Dollar General has emerged as the primary player in the discount retail sector following Dollar Tree's decision to sell its Family Dollar chain to private equity, which is expected to result in store closures [4] - Despite a mixed quarterly report, Dollar General is perceived to be making progress in improving its business [4] - An analyst note from Citi indicated that Dollar General would be less impacted by new tariffs compared to competitors, as it focuses more on consumable products rather than discretionary items [4]