Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) Shares Bought by Haverford Trust Co

Haverford Trust Co raised its position in Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) by 379.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 9,935 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after buying an additional 7,863 shares during the period. Haverford Trust Co’s holdings in Tractor Supply were worth $527,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Smithfield Trust Co raised its holdings in 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. PrairieView Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Tractor Supply by 400.0% in the fourth quarter. PrairieView Partners LLC now owns 500 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC raised its stake in shares of Tractor Supply by 400.0% during the 4th quarter. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC now owns 500 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 400 shares during the period. Archer Investment Corp lifted its position 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 valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kentucky Trust Co acquired a new stake in Tractor Supply in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.72% of the company’s stock.

Tractor Supply Stock Performance

Tractor Supply stock opened at $52.83 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $28.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $55.00 and a 200-day simple moving average of $55.67. Tractor Supply has a 1-year low of $48.30 and a 1-year high of $61.53.

Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The specialty retailer reported $0.44 earnings per share 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 expect that Tractor Supply will post 2.17 EPS for the current year.

Tractor Supply announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program 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 programs are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Tractor Supply Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 11th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 26th were paid a dividend of $0.92 per share. This is a positive change from Tractor Supply’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 26th. This represents a $3.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.97%. Tractor Supply’s dividend payout ratio is presently 45.10%.

Insider Activity at Tractor Supply

In other Tractor Supply news, SVP Matthew L. Rubin sold 3,850 shares of the firm’s 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 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 filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Melissa Kersey sold 9,300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.17, for a total value of $494,481.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 34,961 shares in the company, valued at $1,858,876.37. This represents a 21.01 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 137,993 shares of company stock worth $7,538,068 in the last three months. 0.58% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on TSCO shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Tractor Supply from $58.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $67.00 price target on shares of Tractor Supply in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Barclays cut their price objective 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. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and issued a $60.00 target price on shares of Tractor Supply in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price target on Tractor Supply from $44.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Tractor Supply presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $59.22.

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.