Welch Group LLC Grows Stake in The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX)

Welch Group LLC grew its holdings in The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX - Free Report) by 3.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 68,904 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailer's stock after buying an additional 2,185 shares during the quarter. Welch Group LLC's holdings in TJX Companies were worth $8,145,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in TJX. Bogart Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of TJX Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of TJX Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of TJX Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Promus Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of TJX Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Tacita Capital Inc acquired a new stake in shares of TJX Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $38,000. 91.09% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

TJX Companies Trading Down 0.2%

NYSE:TJX traded down $0.28 on Friday, reaching $126.79. The company's stock had a trading volume of 9,364,867 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,254,415. The TJX Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $103.70 and a 12-month high of $135.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm has a market cap of $141.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.94. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $126.88 and a 200 day moving average price of $123.85.

TJX Companies (NYSE:TJX - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 21st. The apparel and home fashions retailer reported $0.92 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.02. TJX Companies had a return on equity of 61.82% and a net margin of 8.63%. The company had revenue of $13.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.01 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.93 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that The TJX Companies, Inc. will post 4.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

TJX Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th will be issued a $0.425 dividend. This represents a $1.70 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.34%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 15th. This is an increase from TJX Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. TJX Companies's payout ratio is currently 40.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $164.00 price target (up from $154.00) on shares of TJX Companies in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Morgan Stanley set a $140.00 price target on TJX Companies and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an "equal weight" rating on shares of TJX Companies in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on TJX Companies from $127.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, May 19th. Finally, Citigroup raised TJX Companies from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $140.65.

Insider Activity at TJX Companies

In related news, CEO Ernie Herrman sold 23,428 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.03, for a total value of $2,882,346.84. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 484,189 shares in the company, valued at approximately $59,569,772.67. The trade was a 4.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

TJX Companies Profile

The TJX Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an off-price apparel and home fashions retailer in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. It operates through four segments: Marmaxx, HomeGoods, TJX Canada, and TJX International. The company sells family apparel, including footwear and accessories; home fashions, such as home basics, furniture, rugs, lighting products, giftware, soft home products, decorative accessories, tabletop, and cookware, as well as expanded pet, and gourmet food departments; jewelry and accessories; and other merchandise.