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Tesco plc (TSCO) AI Stock Analysis

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GB:TSCO

Tesco plc

(LSE:TSCO)

Select Model
Rating:71.3Outperform
Price Target:GBX 526.00â–¼(-2.59% Downside)
Action:reiterated
Date:10/08/26

The score is driven primarily by above-average financial performance (improving earnings and cash generation) and a strong, guidance-supported earnings call with evidence of market-share gains and ongoing efficiency delivery. The main offsets are leverage and thin industry margins, while technicals and valuation are broadly neutral-to-supportive rather than standout.

Positive Factors
Revenue and Profit GrowthTesco has delivered sustained revenue growth alongside a substantial improvement in net income and net margin. This combination indicates stronger earnings power and resilient demand across its grocery and wider retail offer, supporting reinvestment and continued business development over the next several quarters.
Negative Factors
Structurally Thin MarginsTesco’s low-margin model leaves limited room to absorb higher operating costs, inflation or more aggressive pricing without affecting profitability. Even with recent improvement, relatively small changes in costs or promotional intensity can materially influence earnings and reduce operating flexibility.

Tesco plc (TSCO) vs. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWC)

-15%-10%-5%0%5%10%15%20%25%30%GB:TSCO+20.94%EWC+21.27%Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26
Market Cap
GBP 33.52B
Dividend Yield
2.73%
Average Volume (3M)
15.01M
Price to Earnings (P/E)
18.0
Beta (1Y)
0.68
Revenue Growth
5.41%
EPS Growth
30.44%
Country
UK
Employees
340,000
Sector
Consumer Defensive
Sector Strength
62
Industry
Grocery Stores

Tesco plc Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Tesco PLC, encompassing its various subsidiaries, is a major player in both consumer retail and banking sectors. The company delivers a wide assortment of food items to customers via a vast network of approximately 4,752 physical stores situated in t...

How the Company Makes Money

Tesco makes money primarily by selling products to consumers through its retail network and online channels. Its main revenue stream is retail sales of groceries (fresh, ambient, and frozen foods) and everyday essentials, generated from high-frequenc...

Tesco plc Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Oct 07, 2026(Q2-2027)|% Change Since:14.59%|Next Earnings Date:Apr 13, 2027
Earnings Call SentimentPositive

The call was strongly positive, supported by record customer satisfaction, broad-based profit, EPS and cash growth, market-share gains, rapid-delivery momentum, ongoing cost savings, and increased investment and shareholder returns. The main cautions were moderated U.K. like-for-like growth, declining convenience sales driven by tobacco, a higher promotional rate, intense competition, and uncertainty around the second half, inflation, AI, and rapid-delivery capacity.

Positive Updates

Record Customer Satisfaction
Tesco achieved its highest ever customer satisfaction score, with meaningful gains across every measure, including ease, quality, value, and reward. The company cited a record NPS of 33.

Negative Updates

Convenience Like-for-Like Decline
Total convenience like-for-like sales, including One Stop stores, declined 1.7%, largely reflecting the continued decline in the tobacco market. Tesco Express sales were broadly flat year-on-year.

Company Guidance

The company expects group adjusted operating profits of between GBP 3.15 billion and GBP 3.3 billion for the full year, narrowing to the upper half of our previous range; free cash flow is expected to be within the medium-term guidance range of GBP 1.5 billion-GBP 2 billion; capital expenditure is expected to be around GBP 1.7 billion this year, up from our previous guidance of around GBP 1.6 billion and around GBP 200 million higher than last year; Save to Invest is on track to deliver its GBP 500 million target for the full year; Whoosh is on track to deliver sales in excess of half a billion pounds this year; Finest full-year sales are expected to be well over GBP 3 billion; and the framework remains modest top-line growth, 5%+ operating profit growth, and double-digit EPS growth.

Tesco plc Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Steady revenue growth and improving profitability into 2026, supported by stronger recent operating and free cash flow. Offsetting factors are structurally thin retail margins and a meaningful leverage profile, which reduce flexibility if costs rise or competition intensifies.

Income Statement

72Positive

Balance Sheet

63Positive

Cash Flow

74Positive
Financial statement breakdown
BreakdownTTMFeb 2026Feb 2025Feb 2024Feb 2023Feb 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue75.03B73.71B69.92B68.19B65.76B61.34B
Gross Profit5.67B5.55B5.36B4.85B4.68B4.69B
EBITDA5.18B5.01B4.78B4.83B3.22B4.39B
Net Income1.90B1.79B1.63B1.19B737.00M1.48B
Balance Sheet
Total Assets40.33B39.47B38.89B47.04B46.13B49.35B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments4.44B4.16B4.63B4.67B4.45B4.65B
Total Debt14.77B15.08B14.67B14.84B15.08B15.36B
Total Liabilities28.74B28.02B27.23B35.37B33.90B33.71B
Stockholders Equity11.60B11.46B11.67B11.67B12.24B15.66B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow3.15B2.80B1.68B2.45B2.56B2.61B
Operating Cash Flow4.56B4.14B2.92B3.84B3.81B3.79B
Investing Cash Flow-1.20B-943.00M-441.00M-1.70B-790.00M-1.77B
Financing Cash Flow-3.13B-3.09B-2.94B-1.86B-3.19B-2.23B

Tesco plc Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis SentimentPositive
Last Price540.00

Price Trends

50DMA487.45Positive
100DMA475.41Positive
200DMA464.30Positive

Market Momentum

MACD15.86Positive
RSI70.24Negative
STOCH32.26Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For GB:TSCO, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 540.00 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 518.82, above the 50-day MA of 487.45, and above the 200-day MA of 464.30, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 15.86 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 70.24 is Negative, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 32.26 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for GB:TSCO.

Tesco plc Risk Analysis

Tesco plc disclosed 15 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Tesco plc reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.

Higher RiskSector Avg.Lower RiskFinance & CorporateTech & InnovationLegal & RegulatoryProductionAbility to SellMacro & Political
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy

Latest Risks Added

1 New Risk
1.Climate changeQ4, 2021

Tesco plc Peers Comparison

Overall Rating

UnderperformOutperform
Sector (62)

Financial Indicators

GB:TSCO against its peers
NameOverall RatingMarket CapP/E RatioROEDividend YieldRevenue GrowthEPS Growth
GB:GRGGB:GRG78OutperformGBP 2.34B17.8420.97%3.00%6.89%-9.02%
GB:TSCOGB:TSCO71OutperformGBP 33.46B18.0016.45%2.73%5.41%30.44%
GB:SBRYGB:SBRY69NeutralGBP 7.52B20.866.39%7.15%-2.65%7.32%
GB:ABFGB:ABF66NeutralGBP 13.44B14.358.44%3.28%-2.16%-24.87%
GB:OCDOGB:OCDO63NeutralGBP 2.70B-10.76-15.94%―――
Sector *62Neutral$20.33B14.63-3.31%3.23%1.93%-12.26%
GB:BMEGB:BME55NeutralGBP 2.77B16.9221.74%3.49%3.66%-48.66%

* Consumer Defensive Sector Average

Performance Comparison

0%25%50%75%GB:TSCOGB:OCDOGB:ABFGB:BMEGB:GRGGB:SBRYDec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26
GB:TSCO and its peers over the selected period
Show on chartTickerCompany NamePriceChange% Change
GB:TSCOTesco plc540.0099.7922.67%
GB:OCDOOcado Group plc 322.20112.8053.87%
GB:ABFAssociated British Foods Plc (UK)1922.50-287.54-13.01%
GB:BMEB&M European Value Retail SA275.40112.6569.22%
GB:GRGGreggs plc2302.00779.3951.19%
GB:SBRYJ Sainsbury (GB)345.4034.7811.20%

Tesco plc Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes

Tesco strengthens board with appointment of seasoned non-executive Wendy Becker

Positive
Oct 8, 2026

Tesco plc has appointed Wendy Becker as a non-executive director, effective 1 November 2026, adding her to its Remuneration Committee and Nominations and Governance Committee. The move brings extensive board-level and executive experience from global...

Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackDividendsFinancial Disclosures

Tesco lifts profit, cash flow and buybacks as record customer satisfaction boosts growth

Positive
Oct 8, 2026

Tesco reported a solid first half for 2026/27, with sales excluding VAT and fuel up 1.6% at constant rates to £33.8bn and adjusted operating profit up 6.3% to £1.78bn, supported by improved sales mix, cost savings and newer income streams....

Business Operations and StrategyRegulatory Filings and Compliance

Tesco Executives Acquire Shares Under Routine Incentive Plan

Positive
Sep 28, 2026

Tesco PLC disclosed that trustees of its Share Incentive Plan purchased small quantities of ordinary shares on 25 September 2026 on behalf of several senior executives, including Group Chief Executive Ken Murphy and Chief Technology Officer Guus Dekk...

Executive/Board ChangesRegulatory Filings and Compliance

Tesco executives acquire shares through incentive plan

Positive
Sep 1, 2026

Tesco has disclosed that trustees of its Share Incentive Plan purchased small amounts of ordinary shares on 28 August for several senior executives, including chief executive Ken Murphy and other top managers, at a price of about £4.56 per share...

Regulatory Filings and Compliance

Tesco CEO Ken Murphy Exercises Options and Retains Shares Under Savings Scheme

Neutral
Aug 20, 2026

Tesco PLC has disclosed that Group Chief Executive Officer Ken Murphy exercised options over 9,890 ordinary shares under the company’s Savings-Related Share Option Scheme at a price of 182 pence per share. Following the option exercise, Murphy...

Regulatory Filings and Compliance

Tesco Chair Gerry Murphy Buys £44,845 in Company Shares

Positive
Aug 18, 2026

Tesco PLC disclosed that its chair, Gerry Murphy, has purchased 10,000 ordinary shares in the company on 17 August 2026 at a price of £4.4845 per share on the London Stock Exchange main market. The transaction, worth £44,845, was reported a...

Regulatory Filings and Compliance

Tesco discloses £1.53m share sale by senior executive

Neutral
Aug 6, 2026

Tesco PLC has disclosed that Christine Heffernan, its Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer, sold 317,000 ordinary shares in the company on 5 August 2026 at a price of £4.817 per share. The transaction, executed on the London Stock Exc...

Executive/Board ChangesRegulatory Filings and Compliance

Tesco executives receive shares under routine incentive plan

Neutral
Aug 4, 2026

Tesco has disclosed a routine purchase of ordinary shares for several senior executives under its Share Incentive Plan’s Partnership Share Scheme. On 31 July 2026, the plan’s trustees bought small amounts of Tesco stock on the London Stoc...

Regulatory Filings and Compliance

Tesco Confirms Share Capital and Voting Rights for Transparency Reporting

Neutral
Aug 3, 2026

Tesco has confirmed that, as of 31 July 2026, its issued share capital comprises 6,265,124,955 ordinary shares, each carrying one vote at general meetings, with no shares held in treasury. The company emphasised that this share count should be used b...

Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance

Tesco Advances £750m Buyback with New Share Purchase

Positive
Aug 3, 2026

Tesco plc has continued its £750 million share buyback programme, purchasing 605,430 ordinary shares on 31 July 2026 at an average price of 489.14p, with Banco Santander acting as broker. Following this latest transaction, Tesco’s share co...

Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback

Tesco Advances £750m Share Buyback, Cancels Over 119m Shares

Positive
Jul 31, 2026

Tesco PLC has continued its £750 million share buyback programme, purchasing 750,000 ordinary shares on 30 July 2026 at an average price of 496.20 pence, with Banco Santander acting as broker. These shares are being cancelled, leaving 6,265,730,...

Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback

Tesco Advances £750m Share Buyback, Cutting Share Count Further

Positive
Jul 30, 2026

Tesco plc has continued executing its £750 million share buyback programme, purchasing 500,000 ordinary shares on 29 July 2026 at an average price of 491.44 pence, with Banco Santander acting as broker. This latest transaction forms part of a br...

Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback

Tesco Advances £750m Buyback, Cuts Share Count Further

Positive
Jul 29, 2026

Tesco plc has continued executing its £750 million share buyback programme, purchasing 1,000,000 ordinary shares on 28 July 2026 at an average price of 491.22 pence per share through Banco Santander. This latest transaction forms part of a broad...

Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance

Tesco Advances £750m Buyback, Cuts Share Count by Over 117m

Positive
Jul 28, 2026

Tesco plc has continued executing its £750 million share buyback programme, repurchasing 557,656 ordinary shares on 27 July 2026 at an average price of 481.70p, with the shares to be cancelled. This latest transaction leaves 6,267,980,385 ordina...

Regulatory Filings and Compliance

Tesco Executives Disclose Sales of Ordinary Shares

Neutral
Jul 10, 2026

Tesco PLC has disclosed that two senior executives, Geoff Byrne, CEO for Ireland and Northern Ireland, and Andrew Yaxley, CEO of Booker, have sold portions of their holdings in the company. Byrne disposed of 60,000 ordinary shares at £4.702 per...

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.

Date of analysis: Oct 08, 2026