Aviva PLC Grows Position in Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO)

Aviva PLC boosted its stake in shares of Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) by 390.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 802,685 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 639,173 shares during the period. Aviva PLC owned approximately 0.15% of Tractor Supply worth $42,590,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Glen Eagle Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Tractor Supply by 75.8% in the 3rd quarter. Glen Eagle Advisors LLC now owns 464 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $135,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Smithfield Trust Co raised its holdings in shares of Tractor Supply by 286.2% in the 4th quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 475 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 352 shares during the period. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC lifted its stake in shares of Tractor Supply by 400.0% in the 4th quarter. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC now owns 500 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Archer Investment Corp grew its holdings in shares of Tractor Supply by 400.0% during the 4th quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 500 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the period. Finally, PrairieView Partners LLC increased its position in Tractor Supply by 400.0% during the 4th quarter. PrairieView Partners LLC now owns 500 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.72% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Tractor Supply

In related news, SVP Matthew L. Rubin sold 3,850 shares of the company’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 represents a 10.80 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Harry A. Lawton III sold 88,095 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.59, for a total value of $4,809,106.05. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 488,852 shares in the company, valued at $26,686,430.68. The trade was a 15.27 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 137,993 shares of company stock valued at $7,538,068 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.24% of the company’s stock.

Tractor Supply Trading Down 6.0 %

Shares of NASDAQ TSCO opened at $52.40 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $54.84 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $55.61. Tractor Supply has a 52-week low of $48.30 and a 52-week high of $61.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.69, a PEG ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.88.

Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The specialty retailer reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.28 by ($1.84). Tractor Supply had a return on equity of 49.01% and a net margin of 7.40%. On average, analysts anticipate that Tractor Supply will post 2.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Tractor Supply declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Thursday, February 13th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the specialty retailer to repurchase up to 3.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Tractor Supply Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 26th were issued a $0.92 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 26th. This is a positive change from Tractor Supply’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $3.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.02%. Tractor Supply’s payout ratio is 45.10%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on TSCO shares. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Tractor Supply from $44.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Loop Capital increased their price target on Tractor Supply from $53.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Tractor Supply from $58.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Barclays lowered their target price on Tractor Supply from $262.00 to $52.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 30th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price target on Tractor Supply from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.22.

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.