USS Investment Management Ltd Increases Stock Holdings in The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX)

USS Investment Management Ltd increased its stake in shares of The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX - Free Report) by 385.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 243,204 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 193,104 shares during the quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd's holdings in TJX Companies were worth $29,380,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Bogart Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of TJX Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. acquired a new position in TJX Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of TJX Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Promus Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of TJX Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Tacita Capital Inc bought a new stake in TJX Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Institutional investors own 91.09% of the company's stock.

TJX Companies Trading Down 2.9%

Shares of TJX Companies stock traded down $3.82 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $125.77. 8,782,984 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,331,581. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a current ratio of 1.19. The company has a market cap of $140.49 billion, a PE ratio of 29.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.94. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $126.00 and a 200-day moving average of $123.58. The TJX Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $101.01 and a 12 month high of $135.85.

TJX Companies (NYSE:TJX - Get Free Report) last announced 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. The company had revenue of $13.11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.01 billion. TJX Companies had a return on equity of 61.82% and a net margin of 8.63%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.93 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that The TJX Companies, Inc. will post 4.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

TJX Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th will be paid a $0.425 dividend. This is a boost from TJX Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. This represents a $1.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.35%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 15th. TJX Companies's dividend payout ratio is currently 39.91%.

Insider Transactions at TJX Companies

In related news, Director Alan M. Bennett sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.53, for a total transaction of $988,240.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Ernie Herrman sold 23,428 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were 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 directly owns 484,189 shares in the company, valued at $59,569,772.67. This trade represents a 4.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on TJX shares. Barclays increased their target price on TJX Companies from $137.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday. Morgan Stanley set a $140.00 price objective on TJX Companies and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on TJX Companies from $127.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, May 19th. Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of TJX Companies in a report on Tuesday. Finally, UBS Group restated 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, TJX Companies currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $140.65.

TJX Companies Company 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.