Tractor Supply Co vs Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock — how do they compare? Tractor Supply Co trades at $32.67 (market cap $17.56B), while Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock trades at $39.82 (market cap $11.15B). The key difference: Tractor Supply Co is the larger of the two by market cap, and Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock pays the higher dividend (3.67%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Tractor Supply Co for 89 Days and Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock for 0 Days on average.
| TSCO | WTRG | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $17.56B | $11.15B |
Volume | 9,523,235 | 1,760,234 |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Utilities |
52-Week High | $56.37 | $42.00 |
52-Week Low | $29.14 | $36.25 |
Typical Hold Time | 89 Days | 0 Days |
Enterprise Value | $23.87B | $19.66B |
Dividend Yield | 2.85% | 3.67% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Tractor Supply (TSCO) trades at $32.74, down 2.12% today amid recent earnings misses. The stock shows mixed technical signals with bullish moving averages but neutral oscillators. Fundamentally, the company maintains solid profitability with 36.46% gross margins and 39.51% ROE, though revenue growth has slowed to 4.2% annually. Recent news highlights dividend sustainability concerns after two consecutive quarterly misses and a 17-year dividend growth streak.
Outlook remains cautious with analyst consensus at $36.76 target (12% upside) but recent institutional selling and earnings disappointments create near-term headwinds. Key risks include competitive pressures, rural consumer spending volatility, and margin compression from 7.66% to 6.42% over four years. The dividend yield of 0.73% provides income support while growth initiatives target pet care and logistics optimization.
WTRG trades at $39.29, up 0.36% with neutral technical signals. The stock shows mixed earnings performance with two beats and one miss in recent quarters, while maintaining strong profitability margins (21.6% net income margin). Analyst consensus is bullish with a $44.50 price target, supported by ongoing acquisitions and pending merger developments with American Water.
The stock presents a stable utility investment with moderate growth potential through strategic acquisitions, though near-term earnings volatility and integration risks from the pending merger warrant caution. Current valuation at 20.15 P/E appears reasonable given the company's consistent cash flow generation and defensive sector positioning.
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Tractor Supply is the largest operator of retail farm and ranch stores in the United States. The company targets recreational farmers and ranchers and has little exposure to commercial and industrial farm operations. Currently, the company operates 2,016 of its namesake banners in 49 states and 178 Petsense stores. Stores are typically located in towns outside of urban areas and in rural communities. In fiscal 2021, revenue consisted primarily of livestock and pet (47%), hardware, tools, and truck (21%), and seasonal gift and toy (21%).
Read more on TSCO →Essential Utilities Inc. is a holding company for regulated water, wastewater, and natural gas utilities, operating under the Aqua and Peoples brands. It serves customers across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, Indiana, Virginia, and Kentucky.
Read more on WTRG →