Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) Holdings Lifted by Tower Research Capital LLC TRC

Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its holdings in Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO - Free Report) by 1,871.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 40,955 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 38,878 shares during the quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC's holdings in Tractor Supply were worth $2,173,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of TSCO. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Tractor Supply by 392.5% during the 4th 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 grew its holdings in Tractor Supply by 401.8% during 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 acquiring an additional 19,048,385 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its position in Tractor Supply by 403.3% in the fourth quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 22,256,534 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,180,932,000 after acquiring an additional 17,834,643 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in Tractor Supply by 403.7% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 19,433,135 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,031,122,000 after acquiring an additional 15,575,311 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors boosted its position in shares of Tractor Supply by 334.7% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 15,429,288 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $818,421,000 after purchasing an additional 11,880,010 shares in the last quarter. 98.72% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Tractor Supply

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on TSCO shares. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Tractor Supply from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Bank of America raised their price objective on Tractor Supply from $44.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Barclays decreased their target price on Tractor Supply from $262.00 to $52.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 30th. Truist Financial reduced their target price on Tractor Supply from $63.00 to $60.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Stephens began coverage on Tractor Supply in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $56.00 price target on the stock. 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 given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $59.07.

Tractor Supply Stock Performance

TSCO stock opened at $50.28 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $53.48 and a two-hundred day moving average of $54.97. Tractor Supply has a 12 month low of $46.97 and a 12 month high of $61.53. The company has a market capitalization of $26.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.65, a P/E/G ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82.

Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results 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 return on equity of 49.01% and a net margin of 7.40%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Tractor Supply will post 2.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Tractor Supply Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 11th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 26th were given a dividend of $0.92 per share. This is a positive change from Tractor Supply's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 26th. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.32%. Tractor Supply's payout ratio is currently 45.10%.

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.

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