Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) Stock Position Raised by AQR Capital Management LLC

AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO - Free Report) by 421.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 140,974 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 113,914 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC's holdings in Tractor Supply were worth $7,480,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Tractor Supply by 392.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 64,033,972 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $3,397,643,000 after buying an additional 51,031,178 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake 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 purchasing an additional 19,048,385 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its holdings 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 valued at $1,180,932,000 after purchasing an additional 17,834,643 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors increased its stake in Tractor Supply by 403.7% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 19,433,135 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,031,122,000 after purchasing an additional 15,575,311 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors raised its holdings in Tractor Supply by 334.7% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 15,429,288 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $818,421,000 after purchasing an additional 11,880,010 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.72% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Tractor Supply

In other news, EVP Colin Yankee sold 24,602 shares of Tractor Supply stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president now owns 33,645 shares in the company, 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 available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Kurt D. Barton sold 12,146 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $56.00, for a total transaction of $680,176.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 47,715 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,672,040. The trade was a 20.29 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 40,598 shares of company stock worth $2,234,481. 0.65% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Tractor Supply Trading Down 0.2 %

NASDAQ:TSCO traded down $0.11 on Friday, reaching $51.31. The stock had a trading volume of 3,588,627 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,128,224. The company has a market cap of $27.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 0.20. Tractor Supply has a 12-month low of $46.85 and a 12-month high of $61.53. The firm's fifty day moving average is $51.96 and its two-hundred day moving average is $54.17.

Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The specialty retailer reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.37 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $3.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.55 billion. Tractor Supply had a net margin of 7.40% and a return on equity of 49.01%. Tractor Supply's revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.83 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Tractor Supply will post 2.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Tractor Supply declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Thursday, February 13th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the specialty retailer to buy up to 3.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Tractor Supply Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 26th were given a $0.92 dividend. This is an increase from Tractor Supply's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 26th. This represents a $3.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.17%. Tractor Supply's dividend payout ratio is presently 45.77%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on TSCO. Truist Financial lowered their target price on shares of Tractor Supply from $63.00 to $60.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 31st. Citigroup lowered their price target on Tractor Supply from $59.00 to $51.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 25th. Stephens initiated coverage on shares of Tractor Supply in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $56.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group set a $54.00 price objective on Tractor Supply in a report on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Bank of America increased their price objective on Tractor Supply from $44.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $58.02.

Tractor Supply 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.