Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) Shares Acquired by Chesley Taft & Associates LLC

Chesley Taft & Associates LLC increased its position in Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) by 1.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 117,790 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,245 shares during the quarter. Chesley Taft & Associates LLC’s holdings in Tractor Supply were worth $6,490,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Smithfield Trust Co boosted its position in Tractor Supply by 286.2% in the 4th quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 475 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 352 shares during the last quarter. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC lifted its stake in shares of Tractor Supply by 944.4% in the fourth quarter. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC now owns 470 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 425 shares in the last quarter. PrairieView Partners LLC boosted its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Archer Investment Corp boosted its holdings in Tractor Supply by 400.0% in the fourth quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 500 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kentucky Trust Co acquired a new stake in Tractor Supply during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. 98.72% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on TSCO shares. Guggenheim cut their target price on Tractor Supply from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on shares of Tractor Supply from $63.00 to $56.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 25th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Tractor Supply from $62.00 to $58.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 25th. UBS Group set a $54.00 target price on shares of Tractor Supply in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Tractor Supply from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $58.02.

Tractor Supply Stock Up 0.6%

TSCO opened at $49.34 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $50.85 and its 200 day moving average price is $53.56. 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 stock has a market cap of $26.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.19, a P/E/G ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.74. Tractor Supply has a 12 month low of $46.85 and a 12 month high of $61.53.

Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The specialty retailer reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37 by ($0.03). Tractor Supply had a net margin of 7.40% and a return on equity of 49.01%. The business had revenue of $3.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.55 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.83 earnings per share. Tractor Supply’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Tractor Supply will post 2.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Tractor Supply Cuts Dividend

The business 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 is Wednesday, May 28th. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.86%. Tractor Supply’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.77%.

Tractor Supply announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Thursday, February 13th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the specialty retailer to purchase up to 3.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Matthew L. Rubin sold 2,810 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.76, for a total value of $145,445.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.65% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.