Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ:TSCO), the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States, reported steady top-line growth for the first quarter of 2026, driven primarily by its ongoing physical footprint expansion.
For the quarter ended March 28, 2026, the Brentwood, Tennessee-based company saw net sales rise 3.6% to $3.59 billion.
Comparable store sales, a key metric of retail health, increased by 0.5%.
This growth was supported by a 1.6% increase in the average ticket size, which helped mitigate a 1% decline in total transaction counts.
Profitability metrics showed some contraction as the company balanced growth investments with shifting consumer demand.
Operating income for the quarter fell 6.3% to $233.4 million, while net income decreased 8.3% to $164.5 million.
Diluted earnings per share (EPS) came in at $0.31, down from $0.34 in the prior-year period.
The decline in earnings was largely attributed to higher selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses as the company accelerated store openings and managed fixed-cost deleverage.
Operationally, Tractor Supply remained active in its expansion and capital return programs.
The company opened 40 new stores during the quarter, moving toward its annual goal of 100 new locations.
Additionally, the firm returned $244.4 million to shareholders through a combination of $118 million in share repurchases and $126.4 million in cash dividends.
Looking ahead, Tractor Supply reaffirmed its fiscal year 2026 outlook.
The company continues to expect comparable store sales growth of 1% to 3% and diluted EPS in the range of $2.13 to $2.23.
Total net sales for the year are projected to grow between 4% and 6%.