Casey's General Stores (NASDAQ:CASY) Sets New 52-Week High - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• 52-week high: Casey's hit a new 52-week high, trading as high as $836.71 (last $833.34) on Monday with ~377,410 shares changing hands and trading well above its 50- and 200-day moving averages ($718.23 / $627.86).
• Analyst backdrop: The consensus rating is a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $725.09 — materially below the current share price — although several brokers have recently raised targets (e.g., Jefferies to $780).
• Financial profile: The company reported an earnings beat ($3.49 EPS vs. $2.94 est.) but missed revenue expectations, has a market cap of $31.5B and a high P/E of 48.9, and pays a small dividend (quarterly $0.57, ~0.3% yield), indicating a growth-oriented valuation rather than income focus.

Casey's General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY - Get Free Report)'s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $836.71 and last traded at $833.3390, with a volume of 377410 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $835.92.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on CASY. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $688.00 price objective on Casey's General Stores in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Zacks Research raised Casey's General Stores from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Bank of America started coverage on Casey's General Stores in a research report on Friday, January 9th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Casey's General Stores from $530.00 to $605.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Casey's General Stores from $700.00 to $780.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Casey's General Stores has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $725.09.

Casey's General Stores Stock Up 2.0%

The stock has a fifty day moving average of $718.23 and a 200 day moving average of $627.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.64.

Casey's General Stores (NASDAQ:CASY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 9th. The company reported $3.49 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.94 by $0.55. The business had revenue of $3.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.08 billion. Casey's General Stores had a return on equity of 17.56% and a net margin of 3.83%.Casey's General Stores's quarterly revenue was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.33 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Casey's General Stores, Inc. will post 18.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Casey's General Stores Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be paid a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Casey's General Stores's payout ratio is presently 13.09%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Casey's General Stores

In other news, Director Mike Spanos bought 300 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 13th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $665.43 per share, for a total transaction of $199,629.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 4,499 shares in the company, valued at $2,993,769.57. This represents a 7.14% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Katrina S. Lindsey sold 200 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $683.04, for a total value of $136,608.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 4,039 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,758,798.56. The trade was a 4.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.54% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Casey's General Stores

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CASY. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Casey's General Stores in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Casey's General Stores by 100.0% in the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 46 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 23 shares during the period. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division raised its stake in shares of Casey's General Stores by 52.8% during the 4th quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 55 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC raised its stake in shares of Casey's General Stores by 350.0% during the 4th quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 54 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the period. Finally, Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new stake in shares of Casey's General Stores during the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. 85.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Casey's General Stores Company Profile

Casey's General Stores, Inc NASDAQ: CASY is a U.S.-based convenience store chain that operates retail fuel stations and food-focused convenience outlets. Founded in 1959 in Boone, Iowa, the company has grown from a single neighborhood store into a regional operator known for combining traditional convenience retailing—fuel, packaged goods and tobacco—with a larger emphasis on fresh and prepared foods.

The company's stores typically offer gasoline and diesel alongside a range of grocery essentials, grab-and-go items and made-to-order foodservice.

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