Granite Investment Partners LLC Sells 1,146 Shares of Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY)

Granite Investment Partners LLC cut its stake in Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) by 9.6% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 10,756 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,146 shares during the period. Granite Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in Casey’s General Stores were worth $4,262,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. YANKCOM Partnership bought a new position in Casey’s General Stores in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Casey’s General Stores during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its position in shares of Casey’s General Stores by 24.2% in the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 149 shares of the company’s stock worth $59,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Casey’s General Stores in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $79,000. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Casey’s General Stores by 32.9% during the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 210 shares of the company’s stock valued at $83,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. 85.63% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Casey’s General Stores

In other news, Director Mike Spanos purchased 256 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 13th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $390.54 per share, with a total value of $99,978.24. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 3,356 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,310,652.24. This represents a 8.26 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Katrina S. Lindsey sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $437.01, for a total value of $109,252.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 2,443 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,067,615.43. This trade represents a 9.28 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.56% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Casey’s General Stores Stock Up 4.4 %

Casey’s General Stores stock opened at $457.25 on Monday. Casey’s General Stores, Inc. has a 12 month low of $306.69 and a 12 month high of $459.46. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $418.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $407.99. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The firm has a market cap of $16.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.86, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.74.

Casey’s General Stores (NASDAQ:CASY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $2.33 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.57. The company had revenue of $3.90 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.74 billion. Casey’s General Stores had a return on equity of 17.17% and a net margin of 3.57%. Casey’s General Stores’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.33 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Casey’s General Stores, Inc. will post 13.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Casey’s General Stores Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 1st. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.44%. Casey’s General Stores’s payout ratio is 13.94%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on CASY shares. Gordon Haskett upgraded Casey’s General Stores from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of Casey’s General Stores from $450.00 to $460.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Stephens raised shares of Casey’s General Stores to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 7th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Casey’s General Stores from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 8th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada set a $438.00 price target on Casey’s General Stores and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Casey’s General Stores presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $430.33.

Casey’s General Stores Profile

Casey’s General Stores, Inc engages in the provision of management and operation of convenience stores and gasoline stations. It provides self-service gasoline, a wide selection of grocery items, and an array of freshly prepared food items. The firm offers food, beverages, tobacco products, health and beauty aids, automotive products, and other non-food items.