Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC Purchases 112,930 Shares of Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO)

Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its position in shares of Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) by 401.1% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 141,084 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after buying an additional 112,930 shares during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC’s holdings in Tractor Supply were worth $7,486,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. PrairieView Partners LLC increased its stake 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 valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 400 shares during the period. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC grew its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Archer Investment Corp grew its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Kentucky Trust Co purchased a new position in Tractor Supply during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, First Command Advisory Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Tractor Supply by 400.0% in the 4th quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 500 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. 98.72% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Tractor Supply Price Performance

NASDAQ TSCO opened at $54.95 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $29.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.94, a PEG 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 stock’s fifty day moving average price is $55.08 and its 200 day moving average price is $55.71. Tractor Supply has a 1 year low of $48.30 and a 1 year high of $61.53.

Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The specialty retailer reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.28 by ($1.84). Tractor Supply had a net margin of 7.40% and a return on equity of 49.01%. As a group, equities research 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 initiated a share buyback plan on Thursday, February 13th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the specialty retailer to purchase up to 3.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Tractor Supply Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 11th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 26th will be given a dividend of $0.92 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 26th. This is a positive change from Tractor Supply’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.70%. Tractor Supply’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.10%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Tractor Supply

In other Tractor Supply news, EVP Melissa Kersey sold 9,300 shares of Tractor Supply stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.17, for a total transaction of $494,481.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 34,961 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,858,876.37. This trade represents a 21.01 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Matthew L. Rubin sold 3,850 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owns 31,787 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,833,792.03. This trade represents a 10.80 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 137,993 shares of company stock worth $7,538,068. Company insiders own 0.24% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

TSCO has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Tractor Supply from $44.00 to $53.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Tractor Supply from $58.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Loop Capital boosted their price target on Tractor Supply from $53.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $60.00 price objective on shares of Tractor Supply in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $67.00 target price on shares of Tractor Supply in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $59.22.

Tractor Supply 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.