Willis Investment Counsel Grows Holdings in Tractor Supply Company $TSCO

Key Points

• Willis Investment Counsel boosted its stake in Tractor Supply by 5.1% to 677,691 shares (about $33.9M), making TSCO its 14th-largest holding.
• Company insiders have been net sellers — including large trades by the CEO and EVP — with 222,348 shares sold (~$11.96M) in the last 90 days, leaving insiders owning 0.65% of the stock.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed: MarketBeat shows a consensus of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $58.52, but several recent downgrades and target cuts (Bank of America $47) raise near‑term execution risk.

Willis Investment Counsel increased its position in Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ:TSCO - Free Report) by 5.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 677,691 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 32,788 shares during the quarter. Tractor Supply comprises approximately 1.8% of Willis Investment Counsel's holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Willis Investment Counsel owned about 0.13% of Tractor Supply worth $33,891,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Tractor Supply during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Tractor Supply during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Aventura Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Tractor Supply during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Tractor Supply during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Tractor Supply during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $44,000. 98.72% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Gordon Haskett lowered shares of Tractor Supply from an "accumulate" rating to a "hold" rating and cut their price objective for the company from $57.00 to $50.00 in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Tractor Supply from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, February 21st. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $60.00 price objective on shares of Tractor Supply in a report on Friday, January 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $59.00 price objective on shares of Tractor Supply and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on shares of Tractor Supply from $63.00 to $60.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 30th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $58.52.

Tractor Supply News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Tractor Supply this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators highlight TSCO’s “Life Out Here” brand strategy, steady sales growth and customer engagement as evidence the company can drive sustained long‑term value—supporting a constructive longer-term thesis. Tractor Supply Bets on Life Out Here: Is Brand Strategy Paying Off?
• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat lists TSCO among discounted names with rebound potential after the pullback, framing the current price as a possible entry for investors focused on multi-year recovery and yield of prior growth. 3 Discounted Stocks With Strong Rebound Potential (TSCO)
• Positive Sentiment: Local footprint expansion continues: a new Redmond store grand opening (community events, pet adoption) underscores ongoing store-level growth and community marketing that support sales and customer loyalty in core markets. Grand opening of new Redmond Tractor Supply store features free treats and adoptable dogs
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage shows analysts are split: some reaffirm conviction while others trim targets—leaving TSCO’s story intact but with heightened execution risk to watch. This mixed analyst view keeps volatility possible. Analysts Conflicted on These Consumer Cyclical Names: Tractor Supply (TSCO) and CarMax (KMX)
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparisons with peers (e.g., Petco/WOOF) and valuation pieces present TSCO as a reasonable value candidate for some investors but not a clear consensus buy—useful context for relative allocation decisions. WOOF or TSCO: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Bank of America initiated/reinstated coverage with a Neutral rating and a $47 price target, warning subdued discretionary spending will limit near‑term EPS upside—this note is a clear reason for downward pressure on expectations. Bank of America Begins Coverage on Tractor Supply NASDAQ: TSCO
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup reduced its price target (reported cuts to the mid‑$50s) and commentary has been described as pessimistic about near‑term demand—another analyst-driven headwind that reduces conviction among some holders. Citigroup Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Tractor Supply NASDAQ: TSCO Stock Price
• Negative Sentiment: Market chatter and data aggregators note several analyst price‑target cuts, warnings about discretionary weakness, and recent insider share sales—factors that amplify downside risk and short‑term volatility. Tractor Supply Company Stock (TSCO) Opinions on Analyst Price Target Cuts and Demand Warnings

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Robert D. Mills sold 62,950 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.12, for a total value of $3,406,854.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 122,834 shares in the company, valued at $6,647,776.08. This trade represents a 33.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Harry A. Lawton III sold 84,670 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.16, for a total value of $4,501,057.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 606,842 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $32,259,720.72. This represents a 12.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 222,348 shares of company stock valued at $11,959,621 over the last 90 days. 0.65% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Tractor Supply Trading Up 3.8%

TSCO stock opened at $45.28 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $49.86 and a 200 day moving average price of $52.34. Tractor Supply Company has a fifty-two week low of $43.23 and a fifty-two week high of $63.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a current ratio of 1.34. The firm has a market cap of $23.82 billion, a PE ratio of 21.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.75.

Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The specialty retailer reported $0.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.46 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $3.90 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. Tractor Supply had a return on equity of 44.36% and a net margin of 7.06%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.44 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Tractor Supply Company will post 2.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Tractor Supply Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 24th were given a $0.24 dividend. This is a boost from Tractor Supply's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 24th. Tractor Supply's dividend payout ratio is 46.38%.

About Tractor Supply

Tractor Supply Company NASDAQ: TSCO is a specialty retailer focused on products for the home, farm, ranch and outdoors. The company operates a network of physical retail locations complemented by an e-commerce platform, offering a one-stop source of supplies and equipment for customers with rural and suburban lifestyles. Its merchandise assortment targets a range of needs, from animal and livestock care to maintenance, outdoor power equipment, and seasonal products.

Product categories include animal feed and supplies, pet products, fencing and fencing supplies, equine equipment, lawn and garden tools, work clothing and footwear, and small agricultural and outdoor power equipment.

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