Clarius Group LLC Buys New Shares in Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ:TSCO)

Clarius Group LLC acquired a new position in Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ:TSCO - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 7,438 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $410,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Smithfield Trust Co lifted its position in shares of Tractor Supply by 286.2% during the fourth quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 475 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 352 shares in the last quarter. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC lifted its holdings in Tractor Supply by 944.4% during the 4th quarter. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC now owns 470 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 425 shares in the last quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. lifted its holdings in Tractor Supply by 400.0% during the 4th quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 500 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. lifted its stake in shares of Tractor Supply by 400.0% during the fourth quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 500 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the period. Finally, Dunhill Financial LLC lifted its stake in shares of Tractor Supply by 325.8% during the fourth quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 511 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 391 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.72% of the company's stock.

Tractor Supply Stock Up 0.9%

TSCO stock traded up $0.49 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $52.52. 5,732,377 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,171,463. Tractor Supply Company has a 1-year low of $46.85 and a 1-year high of $61.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a current ratio of 1.41. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $50.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $53.16. The firm has a market cap of $27.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.74.

Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The specialty retailer reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.37 by ($0.03). Tractor Supply had a return on equity of 47.56% and a net margin of 7.24%. The company had revenue of $3.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.55 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.83 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Tractor Supply Company will post 2.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Tractor Supply Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 28th were given a $0.23 dividend. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.75%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 28th. Tractor Supply's dividend payout ratio is presently 45.77%.

Insider Activity at Tractor Supply

In other news, SVP Matthew L. Rubin sold 2,810 shares of Tractor Supply stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.76, for a total value of $145,445.60. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 29,722 shares in the company, valued at $1,538,410.72. This trade represents a 8.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.65% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on TSCO shares. Citigroup cut their price target on Tractor Supply from $59.00 to $51.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Tractor Supply from $59.00 to $56.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 28th. UBS Group set a $54.00 price objective on shares of Tractor Supply in a report on Friday, April 25th. Stephens assumed coverage on shares of Tractor Supply in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $56.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Guggenheim cut their price objective on shares of Tractor Supply from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average 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.