Casey's General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) Stock Position Lessened by Benjamin Edwards Inc.

Benjamin Edwards Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Casey's General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY - Free Report) by 14.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 111,884 shares of the company's stock after selling 18,407 shares during the quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. owned about 0.30% of Casey's General Stores worth $44,341,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of CASY. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Casey's General Stores by 22.1% during the 4th quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 34,903 shares of the company's stock worth $13,830,000 after buying an additional 6,328 shares in the last quarter. Freestone Grove Partners LP acquired a new stake in Casey's General Stores in the fourth quarter worth approximately $24,985,000. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Casey's General Stores by 241.1% during the 4th quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 11,940 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,731,000 after purchasing an additional 8,440 shares in the last quarter. AdvisorShares Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Casey's General Stores by 43.6% during the 4th quarter. AdvisorShares Investments LLC now owns 382 shares of the company's stock valued at $151,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in shares of Casey's General Stores by 21.5% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 332,504 shares of the company's stock worth $131,748,000 after buying an additional 58,844 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.63% of the company's stock.

Casey's General Stores Price Performance

Shares of CASY opened at $458.65 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average is $427.41 and its 200-day moving average is $415.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.49. The company has a market capitalization of $17.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.96, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.74. Casey's General Stores, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $313.89 and a fifty-two week high of $468.88.

Casey's General Stores (NASDAQ:CASY - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $2.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.57. The firm had revenue of $3.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.74 billion. Casey's General Stores had a net margin of 3.57% and a return on equity of 17.17%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 17.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.33 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Casey's General Stores, Inc. will post 13.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Casey's General Stores Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 1st will be paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 1st. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.44%. Casey's General Stores's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.94%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on CASY shares. StockNews.com lowered Casey's General Stores from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 8th. Gordon Haskett upgraded shares of Casey's General Stores from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Royal Bank of Canada set a $438.00 target price on shares of Casey's General Stores and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Stephens raised Casey's General Stores to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 7th. Finally, KeyCorp began coverage on Casey's General Stores in a research note on Friday, April 11th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $500.00 price objective for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $430.33.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Katrina S. Lindsey sold 250 shares of Casey's General Stores stock in a transaction on Friday, April 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $437.01, for a total value of $109,252.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 2,443 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,067,615.43. The trade was a 9.28 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Mike Spanos bought 256 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 13th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $390.54 per share, for a total transaction of $99,978.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,356 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,310,652.24. The trade was a 8.26 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 0.56% of the company's stock.

Casey's General Stores Profile

Casey's General Stores, Inc engages in the provision of management and operation of convenience stores and gasoline stations. It provides self-service gasoline, a wide selection of grocery items, and an array of freshly prepared food items. The firm offers food, beverages, tobacco products, health and beauty aids, automotive products, and other non-food items.

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