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Tractor Supply Company (TSCO - Free Report) has reported third-quarter 2024 results, wherein the bottom line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate while sales lagged the same. Sales benefited from higher store openings despite a weak comparable store sales (comps) performance.
TSCO has been progressing well on its Life Out Here strategy amid a tepid retail sales landscape, as its business fundamentals remained sturdy with continued market share gains. With almost 50% of its stores in Project Fusion layout and more than 550 garden centers, the company has been investing in stores, supply-chain capabilities and customer loyalty.
In a separate press release, Tractor Supply revealed that it had agreed to acquire Allivet, which is a privately-held leading online pet pharmacy. This buyout will complement and reinforce the company’s portfolio of companion animals, equestrian and livestock customers. The deal will also enable TSCO to introduce a low-cost pet and animal pharmacy solution for the 37-million Neighbor’s Club members.
The new deal brings a key opportunity to gain share of wallet with the club members, about 75% of whom are pet owners, strengthens the company’s product and services offering, extends its overall addressable market by $15 billion and solidifies relationship between the companies.
The Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company’s shares have risen 13.9% in the past three months compared with the industry’s 5% growth.
Insight to TSCO’s Quarterly Performance
Tractor Supply’s earnings of $2.24 per share surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.23. In the year-earlier quarter, the company reported earnings of $2.33 per share, down 3.9% year over year.
Net sales grew 1.6% year over year to $3,468.2 million. However, sales marginally missed the consensus estimate of $3,486 million. The increase can be attributed to store openings, offset by soft comps.
Tractor Supply Company Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Comps dipped 0.2% year over year due to a comparable average ticket drop of 0.5%, offset by a comparable average transaction count rise of 0.3%. Comps gained from strength in big ticket categories, somewhat offset by decreases in the year-round discretionary categories. Consumable, usable and edible products remained modestly negative, registering unit growth, which was offset by pressures in average unit price.
Tractor Supply’s Costs & Margins
Gross profit rose 3.2% to $1.29 billion and the gross margin grew 56 basis points (bps) year over year to 37.2%. The gross margin increased on strong execution of an everyday low-price strategy, coupled with lower transportation costs and product cost-management. This was somewhat offset by growth in big ticket categories. We expected gross profit to increase 3.4% and the gross margin to rise 50 bps.
Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses, as a percentage of sales, expanded 119 bps year over year to 27.8%. In dollar terms, SG&A expenses, including depreciation and amortization, rose 6.2% year over year to $965.8 million. The higher SG&A expense rate resulted from growth investments, which comprised the onboarding of a new distribution center, lapping a one-time depreciation cost benefit in the last year and modest deleveraged fixed costs. These were partly offset by a strict focus on productivity, cost control and modest gains from its sale-leaseback strategy.
The operating income was down 4.8% year over year to $324.6 million. Meanwhile, the operating margin fell 63 bps to 9.4%. We estimated operating income to decline 6.1% and the operating margin to contract 80 bps.
TSCO’s Financial Position
The company ended the third quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $186.3 million, long-term debt of $1.8 billion and total stockholders’ equity of $2.3 billion. It also provided cash flow from operating activities of $903.6 million in the first nine months of 2024. During the same period, the company incurred a capital expenditure of $538 million.
During the quarter, Tractor Supply repurchased about 0.6 million shares of the common stock for $149.8 million and paid cash dividends of $117.8 million, returning a total of $267.6 million to shareholders.
TSCO introduced 16 flagship stores in the quarter. As of Sept. 28, 2024, the company operated 2,270 Tractor Supply stores in 49 states and 205 Petsense by Tractor Supply stores across 23 states.
What to Expect From Tractor Supply in 2024?
Based on the year-to-date performance, management has revised the guidance for 2024.
The company expects net sales of $14.85-$15 billion, with comps anticipated between flat and growth of 1%. Earlier, management expected net sales of $14.8-$15 billion and comps between a decline of 0.5% and growth of 1%. The operating margin is projected to be 9.8-10.1%. The company predicts net income of $1.09-$1.12 billion compared with the $1.08-$1.12 billion stated earlier. Earnings per share are expected to be $10.10-$10.40 compared with the prior mentioned $10.00-$10.40.
Boot Barn, a lifestyle retail chain devoted to western and work-related footwear, apparel and accessories, currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The company has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 7.1%, on average.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Boot Barn’s current financial-year sales and earnings per share indicates growth of 12% and 10.9%, respectively, from the year-ago figures.
Abercrombie, a leading casual apparel retailer, presently flaunts a Zacks Rank of 1. ANF delivered an earnings surprise of 16.8% in the last reported quarter.
The consensus estimate for Abercrombie’s current financial-year sales indicates growth of 13% from the year-ago figure.
Nordstrom, a fashion specialty retailer, currently sports a Zacks Rank of 1. JWN delivered an earnings surprise of 29.7% in the last reported quarter.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Nordstrom’s current financial-year sales indicates growth of 0.6% from the year-ago figure.
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Tractor Supply Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates, Comps Decline 0.2% Y/Y
Tractor Supply Company (TSCO - Free Report) has reported third-quarter 2024 results, wherein the bottom line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate while sales lagged the same. Sales benefited from higher store openings despite a weak comparable store sales (comps) performance.
TSCO has been progressing well on its Life Out Here strategy amid a tepid retail sales landscape, as its business fundamentals remained sturdy with continued market share gains. With almost 50% of its stores in Project Fusion layout and more than 550 garden centers, the company has been investing in stores, supply-chain capabilities and customer loyalty.
In a separate press release, Tractor Supply revealed that it had agreed to acquire Allivet, which is a privately-held leading online pet pharmacy. This buyout will complement and reinforce the company’s portfolio of companion animals, equestrian and livestock customers. The deal will also enable TSCO to introduce a low-cost pet and animal pharmacy solution for the 37-million Neighbor’s Club members.
The new deal brings a key opportunity to gain share of wallet with the club members, about 75% of whom are pet owners, strengthens the company’s product and services offering, extends its overall addressable market by $15 billion and solidifies relationship between the companies.
The Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company’s shares have risen 13.9% in the past three months compared with the industry’s 5% growth.
Insight to TSCO’s Quarterly Performance
Tractor Supply’s earnings of $2.24 per share surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.23. In the year-earlier quarter, the company reported earnings of $2.33 per share, down 3.9% year over year.
Net sales grew 1.6% year over year to $3,468.2 million. However, sales marginally missed the consensus estimate of $3,486 million. The increase can be attributed to store openings, offset by soft comps.
Tractor Supply Company Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Tractor Supply Company price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Tractor Supply Company Quote
Comps dipped 0.2% year over year due to a comparable average ticket drop of 0.5%, offset by a comparable average transaction count rise of 0.3%. Comps gained from strength in big ticket categories, somewhat offset by decreases in the year-round discretionary categories. Consumable, usable and edible products remained modestly negative, registering unit growth, which was offset by pressures in average unit price.
Tractor Supply’s Costs & Margins
Gross profit rose 3.2% to $1.29 billion and the gross margin grew 56 basis points (bps) year over year to 37.2%. The gross margin increased on strong execution of an everyday low-price strategy, coupled with lower transportation costs and product cost-management. This was somewhat offset by growth in big ticket categories. We expected gross profit to increase 3.4% and the gross margin to rise 50 bps.
Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses, as a percentage of sales, expanded 119 bps year over year to 27.8%. In dollar terms, SG&A expenses, including depreciation and amortization, rose 6.2% year over year to $965.8 million. The higher SG&A expense rate resulted from growth investments, which comprised the onboarding of a new distribution center, lapping a one-time depreciation cost benefit in the last year and modest deleveraged fixed costs. These were partly offset by a strict focus on productivity, cost control and modest gains from its sale-leaseback strategy.
The operating income was down 4.8% year over year to $324.6 million. Meanwhile, the operating margin fell 63 bps to 9.4%. We estimated operating income to decline 6.1% and the operating margin to contract 80 bps.
TSCO’s Financial Position
The company ended the third quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $186.3 million, long-term debt of $1.8 billion and total stockholders’ equity of $2.3 billion. It also provided cash flow from operating activities of $903.6 million in the first nine months of 2024. During the same period, the company incurred a capital expenditure of $538 million.
During the quarter, Tractor Supply repurchased about 0.6 million shares of the common stock for $149.8 million and paid cash dividends of $117.8 million, returning a total of $267.6 million to shareholders.
TSCO introduced 16 flagship stores in the quarter. As of Sept. 28, 2024, the company operated 2,270 Tractor Supply stores in 49 states and 205 Petsense by Tractor Supply stores across 23 states.
What to Expect From Tractor Supply in 2024?
Based on the year-to-date performance, management has revised the guidance for 2024.
The company expects net sales of $14.85-$15 billion, with comps anticipated between flat and growth of 1%. Earlier, management expected net sales of $14.8-$15 billion and comps between a decline of 0.5% and growth of 1%. The operating margin is projected to be 9.8-10.1%. The company predicts net income of $1.09-$1.12 billion compared with the $1.08-$1.12 billion stated earlier. Earnings per share are expected to be $10.10-$10.40 compared with the prior mentioned $10.00-$10.40.
Key Picks
We have highlighted three better-ranked stocks, namely Boot Barn (BOOT - Free Report) , Abercombie (ANF - Free Report) and Nordstrom (JWN - Free Report) .
Boot Barn, a lifestyle retail chain devoted to western and work-related footwear, apparel and accessories, currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The company has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 7.1%, on average.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Boot Barn’s current financial-year sales and earnings per share indicates growth of 12% and 10.9%, respectively, from the year-ago figures.
Abercrombie, a leading casual apparel retailer, presently flaunts a Zacks Rank of 1. ANF delivered an earnings surprise of 16.8% in the last reported quarter.
The consensus estimate for Abercrombie’s current financial-year sales indicates growth of 13% from the year-ago figure.
Nordstrom, a fashion specialty retailer, currently sports a Zacks Rank of 1. JWN delivered an earnings surprise of 29.7% in the last reported quarter.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Nordstrom’s current financial-year sales indicates growth of 0.6% from the year-ago figure.