Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ:TSCO) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ:TSCO - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" by the twenty brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $58.02.

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Stephens assumed coverage on Tractor Supply in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $56.00 price target for the company. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Tractor Supply from $59.00 to $51.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 25th. Telsey Advisory Group set a $60.00 price objective on shares of Tractor Supply in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Guggenheim lowered their target price on shares of Tractor Supply from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reduced their price target on Tractor Supply from $61.00 to $57.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 25th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Tractor Supply

In other Tractor Supply news, EVP Jonathan S. Estep sold 56,630 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.00, for a total transaction of $3,001,390.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 74,605 shares in the company, valued at $3,954,065. The trade was a 43.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Matthew L. Rubin sold 2,810 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.76, for a total value of $145,445.60. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.65% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Park National Corp OH lifted its holdings in Tractor Supply by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Park National Corp OH now owns 11,060 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $584,000 after buying an additional 225 shares in the last quarter. Cullen Investment Group LTD. purchased a new position in Tractor Supply in the second quarter valued at about $352,000. AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs acquired a new stake in Tractor Supply during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,370,000. Voya Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Tractor Supply by 6.5% during the 1st quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 1,042,725 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $57,454,000 after purchasing an additional 63,983 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Hawaiian Bank raised its position in shares of Tractor Supply by 13.3% in the 1st quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 7,194 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $396,000 after purchasing an additional 844 shares in the last quarter. 98.72% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Tractor Supply Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:TSCO traded up $1.06 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $55.14. 6,040,034 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,615,021. Tractor Supply has a twelve month low of $46.85 and a twelve month high of $61.53. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $51.06 and a 200-day moving average price of $52.97. The stock has a market cap of $29.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.38, a PEG ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.75.

Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The specialty retailer reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.37 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $3.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.55 billion. Tractor Supply had a net margin of 7.24% and a return on equity of 47.56%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.83 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Tractor Supply will post 2.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Tractor Supply Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 28th were given a dividend of $0.23 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 28th. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.67%. Tractor Supply's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.77%.

About Tractor Supply

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.