Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty ratings firms that are presently 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 issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $58.02.

A number of research firms have issued reports on TSCO. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Tractor Supply from $59.00 to $56.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Wall Street Zen lowered Tractor Supply from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday. UBS Group set a $54.00 price target on Tractor Supply 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 on the stock in a report on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Stephens initiated coverage on Tractor Supply in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $56.00 price target for the company.

Insider Buying and Selling at Tractor Supply

In other Tractor Supply news, SVP Matthew L. Rubin sold 2,810 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.76, for a total transaction of $145,445.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 29,722 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,538,410.72. This represents a 8.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.65% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Tractor Supply

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC lifted its position in Tractor Supply by 944.4% during the fourth quarter. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC now owns 470 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 425 shares in the last quarter. Smithfield Trust Co increased its stake in Tractor Supply by 286.2% during the fourth quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 475 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 352 shares during the last quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Tractor Supply by 89.3% during the first quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 479 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. Archer Investment Corp increased its stake in Tractor Supply by 400.0% during the fourth quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 500 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PrairieView Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Tractor Supply by 400.0% during the fourth quarter. PrairieView Partners LLC now owns 500 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 400 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.72% of the company's stock.

Tractor Supply Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:TSCO opened at $50.94 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $27.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.97, a P/E/G ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.74. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $50.69 and its 200 day simple moving average is $53.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 0.20. Tractor Supply has a fifty-two week low of $46.85 and a fifty-two week high of $61.53.

Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results 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 business had revenue of $3.47 billion for 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 period in the previous year, the company posted $1.83 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Tractor Supply will post 2.17 earnings per share for the current year.

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

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 given a dividend of $0.23 per share. 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 1.81%. Tractor Supply's dividend payout ratio is currently 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.

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