Scientech Research LLC Buys 32,002 Shares of Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO)

Scientech Research LLC lifted its position in Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO - Free Report) by 2,292.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 33,398 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after buying an additional 32,002 shares during the quarter. Tractor Supply makes up approximately 0.5% of Scientech Research LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Scientech Research LLC's holdings in Tractor Supply were worth $1,772,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of TSCO. Brookstone Capital Management grew its holdings in shares of Tractor Supply by 436.2% during the fourth quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 8,005 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $425,000 after purchasing an additional 6,512 shares in the last quarter. Oak Thistle LLC purchased a new position in shares of Tractor Supply during the fourth quarter worth about $313,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its holdings in shares of Tractor Supply by 44.2% during the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 71,441 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $3,791,000 after purchasing an additional 21,883 shares in the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC grew its holdings in shares of Tractor Supply by 442.1% during the fourth quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 7,643 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $406,000 after purchasing an additional 6,233 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Tractor Supply by 400.0% during the fourth quarter. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. now owns 1,365 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 1,092 shares in the last quarter. 98.72% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Matthew L. Rubin sold 3,850 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.69, for a total transaction of $222,106.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 31,787 shares in the company, valued at $1,833,792.03. This trade represents a 10.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.65% of the company's stock.

Tractor Supply Stock Down 2.5%

TSCO traded down $1.31 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $51.60. The stock had a trading volume of 4,912,277 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,155,812. The stock's 50 day moving average is $51.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $54.08. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The company has a market capitalization of $27.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.82. Tractor Supply has a one year low of $46.85 and a one year high of $61.53.

Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The specialty retailer reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.37 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $3.47 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.55 billion. Tractor Supply had a return on equity of 49.01% and a net margin of 7.40%. Tractor Supply's revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.83 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Tractor Supply will post 2.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Tractor Supply declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, February 13th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the specialty retailer to repurchase up to 3.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Tractor Supply Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 28th will be issued a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 28th. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.78%. Tractor Supply's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.77%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on TSCO. Citigroup cut their target price on Tractor Supply from $59.00 to $51.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on Tractor Supply from $63.00 to $56.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Mizuho cut their target price on Tractor Supply from $62.00 to $58.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 25th. UBS Group set a $54.00 target price on Tractor Supply in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Guggenheim cut their target price on Tractor Supply from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Tractor Supply has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price 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.