Tractor Supply Ahead of Estimate - Analyst Blog
July 21 2011 - 5:00AM
Zacks
Tractor Supply Co.
(TSCO), a leading retail firm and ranch store brand, recorded yet
another quarter of good growth. Earnings per share in the second
quarter of fiscal 2011 came in at $1.23, surpassing the Zacks
Consensus Estimate of $1.20 as well as the prior-year earnings of
$1.04 per share.
Robust performance in core
consumable, usable and edible products − for instance, pet food and
animal feed − acted as a catalyst for an increase of 4.6% in
same-store sales compared with a rise of 6.1% in the prior-year
quarter. Tractor Supply has been witnessing increasing trends in
same-store sales.
During the recession, Tractor
Supply had suffered setbacks as buyers avoided big-ticket purchases
such as mowers, but recent quarters have positively seen an uptick
in results. The company's impressive merchandising improvement
strategy and solid same-store sales trend resulted in double-digit
top-line growth for the company. Net sales in the quarter surged
10.6% to $1,178.4 million from $1,065.7 million in the prior-year
quarter. However, total revenue fell short of the Zacks Consensus
Estimate of $1,193.0 million.
Better direct product margin was
partially offset by higher transportation costs. The resultant
gross profit surged 11.8% to $402.5 million compared with $360.1
million in the prior-year quarter. Gross margin expanded 30 basis
points to 34.1% in the quarter primarily due to improved inventory
management, strategic sourcing, private branding and pricing.
Strong same-store sales coupled
with cost control on advertising and store occupancy expenses
resulted in a 30 basis point improvement in selling and
administration expenses, as a percentage of sales, which came in at
21.9% versus 22.2% in the prior-year quarter. Tractor Supply earned
$91.2 million in the quarter, exceeding the prior-year quarter net
income of $77.3 million.
Financial
Position
Tractor Supply's balance sheet had
cash and cash equivalents of $185.5 million at the end of the
quarter compared with $181.1 million at the end of the prior-year
period. Stockholders' equity came in at $940.7 million compared
with $864.4 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2010. In the
first six months of fiscal 2011, the company generated $117.4
million of cash from its operating activities compared with $71.0
million in the prior-year period.
Store Update
In the quarter under review,
Tractor Supply opened 16 new stores and relocated 1 store. The
company currently runs as many as 1,043 stores in 44 states.
Management
Guidance
Tractor is well positioned to
capitalize on positive long-term trends. The company now expects
sales for fiscal 2011 to range between $4.10 billion and $4.14
billion backed by expectation of same-store sales increase of 5% to
6.0%. This is higher from the previous sales and same-store sales
guidance of $4.04 to $4.11 billion and 3.5% and 5%,
respectively.
On the back of perked-up results
and brighter sales trends, Tractor Supply raised its earnings
expectation for 2011 to range between $2.75 and $2.82 per share
from $2.62 to $2.70 per share.
Competition
The company operates in a highly
fragmented industry and faces competition from larger retailers
such as The Home Depot Inc. (HD).
Tractor Supply’s shares maintain a
Zacks #2 Rank, which translates into a short-term 'Buy'
recommendation. Our long-term recommendation on the stock remains
'Neutral'.
HOME DEPOT (HD): Free Stock Analysis Report
TRACTOR SUPPLY (TSCO): Free Stock Analysis Report
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