Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc. Acquires 202,857 Shares of Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO)

Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO - Free Report) by 397.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 253,898 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 202,857 shares during the quarter. Tractor Supply makes up about 2.7% of Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc.'s holdings in Tractor Supply were worth $13,472,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of TSCO. Smithfield Trust Co grew its stake in Tractor Supply by 286.2% in the fourth quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 475 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 352 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in shares of Tractor Supply by 28.2% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,646 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $87,000 after acquiring an additional 362 shares in the last quarter. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC increased its holdings in shares of Tractor Supply by 400.0% in the 4th quarter. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC now owns 500 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Archer Investment Corp raised its position in shares of Tractor Supply by 400.0% during the 4th quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 500 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PrairieView Partners LLC lifted its stake in Tractor Supply by 400.0% during the fourth quarter. PrairieView Partners LLC now owns 500 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. 98.72% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Tractor Supply

In related news, EVP Melissa Kersey sold 9,300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.17, for a total transaction of $494,481.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 34,961 shares in the company, valued at $1,858,876.37. This represents a 21.01 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Matthew L. Rubin sold 3,850 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.69, for a total value of $222,106.50. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 31,787 shares in the company, valued at $1,833,792.03. The trade was a 10.80 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 137,993 shares of company stock valued at $7,538,068. Corporate insiders own 0.65% of the company's stock.

Tractor Supply Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of NASDAQ TSCO traded up $0.43 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $50.71. The stock had a trading volume of 6,627,756 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,120,490. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 1.43. The company has a market capitalization of $26.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.88. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $53.36 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $54.94. Tractor Supply has a 52 week low of $46.97 and a 52 week high of $61.53.

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

Tractor Supply announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, February 13th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the specialty retailer to buy up to 3.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Tractor Supply Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 11th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 26th were issued a dividend of $0.92 per share. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.26%. This is an increase from Tractor Supply's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 26th. Tractor Supply's payout ratio is presently 45.10%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Tractor Supply from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on Tractor Supply from $63.00 to $60.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Stephens assumed coverage on Tractor Supply in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $56.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Tractor Supply from $58.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $67.00 target price on shares of Tractor Supply in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $59.07.

About Tractor Supply

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.