SGL Investment Advisors Inc. Boosts Holdings in Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO)

SGL Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO - Free Report) by 403.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 65,088 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after buying an additional 52,168 shares during the quarter. Tractor Supply accounts for approximately 1.9% of SGL Investment Advisors Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest position. SGL Investment Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Tractor Supply were worth $3,636,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of TSCO. Shell Asset Management Co. boosted its stake in shares of Tractor Supply by 481.9% during the fourth quarter. Shell Asset Management Co. now owns 33,395 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,772,000 after purchasing an additional 27,656 shares during the period. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Tractor Supply by 403.7% during the fourth quarter. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC now owns 51,742 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $2,745,000 after purchasing an additional 41,470 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in shares of Tractor Supply by 546.6% during the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,802,801 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $95,656,000 after purchasing an additional 1,523,969 shares during the period. Rafferty Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Tractor Supply by 447.7% during the fourth quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC now owns 56,932 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $3,021,000 after purchasing an additional 46,537 shares during the period. Finally, Raiffeisen Bank International AG purchased a new stake in shares of Tractor Supply during the fourth quarter valued at $123,000. 98.72% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on TSCO. Stephens began coverage on shares of Tractor Supply in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $56.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Tractor Supply from $59.00 to $56.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Raymond James lowered their target price on shares of Tractor Supply from $61.00 to $57.00 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 shares of Tractor Supply in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Tractor Supply from $59.00 to $51.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $58.02.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Matthew L. Rubin sold 3,850 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.69, for a total value of $222,106.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 31,787 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,833,792.03. This trade represents a 10.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.65% of the company's stock.

Tractor Supply Price Performance

Shares of TSCO opened at $52.17 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $51.66 and a two-hundred day moving average of $54.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. Tractor Supply has a twelve month low of $46.85 and a twelve month high of $61.53. The company has a market cap of $27.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.82.

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 the consensus estimate of $0.37 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $3.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.55 billion. Tractor Supply had a net margin of 7.40% and a return on equity of 49.01%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.83 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Tractor Supply will post 2.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Tractor Supply Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.76%. Tractor Supply's dividend payout ratio is presently 45.77%.

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

Tractor Supply Company 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.

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