Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super Acquires New Stake in Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO)

Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super bought a new position in Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 60,270 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $3,198,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in TSCO. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Tractor Supply by 392.5% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 64,033,972 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $3,397,643,000 after purchasing an additional 51,031,178 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in Tractor Supply by 401.8% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 23,789,249 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,262,258,000 after buying an additional 19,048,385 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its stake in Tractor Supply by 403.3% during the fourth quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 22,256,534 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,180,932,000 after buying an additional 17,834,643 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Tractor Supply by 403.2% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 14,519,937 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $768,838,000 after acquiring an additional 11,634,249 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Tractor Supply by 391.0% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,821,654 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $574,197,000 after acquiring an additional 8,617,869 shares during the last quarter. 98.72% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Tractor Supply Stock Up 1.5 %

NASDAQ:TSCO traded up $0.75 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $50.11. 4,481,903 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,113,095. The company has a fifty day moving average of $53.84 and a 200 day moving average of $55.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 1.43. Tractor Supply has a twelve month low of $46.97 and a twelve month high of $61.53. The company has a market capitalization of $26.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.88.

Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The specialty retailer reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.28 by ($1.84). Tractor Supply had a net margin of 7.40% and a return on equity of 49.01%. On average, analysts forecast that Tractor Supply will post 2.17 EPS for the current year.

Tractor Supply Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 11th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 26th were given a dividend of $0.92 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 26th. This is an increase from Tractor Supply's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.34%. Tractor Supply's payout ratio is currently 45.10%.

Tractor Supply declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, February 13th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the specialty retailer to reacquire up to 3.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

TSCO has been the subject of several analyst reports. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of Tractor Supply from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Tractor Supply from $58.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Tractor Supply from $44.00 to $53.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $60.00 price target on shares of Tractor Supply in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Stephens began coverage on shares of Tractor Supply in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $56.00 price objective for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $59.07.

Insider Buying and Selling at Tractor Supply

In other Tractor Supply news, EVP Colin Yankee sold 24,602 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.15, for a total transaction of $1,332,198.30. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 33,645 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,821,876.75. This trade represents a 42.24 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Melissa Kersey sold 9,300 shares of Tractor Supply stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.17, for a total transaction of $494,481.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 34,961 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,858,876.37. This trade represents a 21.01 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 137,993 shares of company stock valued at $7,538,068. 0.24% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Tractor Supply Company Profile

Tractor Supply Company operates as a rural lifestyle retailer in the United States. The company offers various merchandise, including livestock and equine feed and equipment, poultry, fencing, and sprayers and chemicals; food, treats, and equipment for dogs, cats, and other small animals, as well as dog wellness products; seasonal and recreation products comprising tractors and riders, lawn and garden, bird feeding, power equipment, and other recreational products; truck, tool, and hardware products, such as truck accessories, trailers, generators, lubricants, batteries, and hardware and tools; and clothing, gift, and décor products consist of clothing, footwear, toys, snacks, and decorative merchandise.