BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S Has $1.15 Million Stock Position in Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO)

BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S increased its position in shares of Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO - Free Report) by 351.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 21,570 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 16,791 shares during the quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S's holdings in Tractor Supply were worth $1,145,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings 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 in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $1,262,258,000 after buying an additional 19,048,385 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 17,834,643 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its holdings in shares of Tractor Supply by 403.7% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 19,433,135 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,031,122,000 after acquiring an additional 15,575,311 shares during the period. Finally, Capital International Investors lifted its position in Tractor Supply by 334.7% in the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 15,429,288 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $818,421,000 after acquiring an additional 11,880,010 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.72% of the company's stock.

Tractor Supply Stock Performance

Shares of TSCO stock traded down $0.84 during trading on Monday, reaching $49.09. 1,087,704 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,099,421. Tractor Supply has a twelve month low of $46.85 and a twelve month high of $61.53. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $53.04 and its 200-day moving average price is $54.73. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $26.09 billion, a PE ratio of 24.15, a PEG ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.88.

Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The specialty retailer reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.37 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $3.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.55 billion. Tractor Supply had a net margin of 7.40% and a return on equity of 49.01%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Tractor Supply will post 2.17 EPS for the current year.

Tractor Supply Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 11th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 7.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 26th. This is a boost from Tractor Supply's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Tractor Supply's payout ratio is currently 45.77%.

Tractor Supply announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, February 13th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the specialty retailer to purchase up to 3.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on TSCO. Guggenheim cut their price target on Tractor Supply from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Tractor Supply from $58.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Tractor Supply from $262.00 to $52.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 30th. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on shares of Tractor Supply from $63.00 to $56.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Finally, Mizuho cut their price target on shares of Tractor Supply from $62.00 to $58.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $58.62.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Matthew L. Rubin sold 3,850 shares of the business's 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 completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 31,787 shares in the company, valued at $1,833,792.03. The trade was a 10.80 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Harry A. Lawton III sold 88,095 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.59, for a total value of $4,809,106.05. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 488,852 shares in the company, valued at $26,686,430.68. The trade was a 15.27 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 137,993 shares of company stock valued at $7,538,068. 0.65% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.