Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-one analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $59.22.

A number of research firms have issued reports on TSCO. Wedbush reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $54.00 target price on shares of Tractor Supply in a report on Friday, October 25th. Benchmark boosted their target price on shares of Tractor Supply from $56.00 to $62.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Citigroup lowered Tractor Supply from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Gordon Haskett lowered Tractor Supply from a “strong-buy” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Tractor Supply from $54.40 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th.

Insider Transactions at Tractor Supply

In other news, CEO Harry A. Lawton III sold 88,095 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $26,686,430.68. This represents a 15.27 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.58% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Tractor Supply during the 4th quarter worth about $329,458,000. Meridiem Investment Management Ltd. increased its holdings in Tractor Supply by 398.9% in the 4th quarter. Meridiem Investment Management Ltd. now owns 5,118,785 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $271,674,000 after buying an additional 4,092,808 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in shares of Tractor Supply by 403.3% in the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 3,912,752 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $207,611,000 after buying an additional 3,135,384 shares in the last quarter. Alecta Tjanstepension Omsesidigt lifted its holdings in shares of Tractor Supply by 400.0% during the 4th quarter. Alecta Tjanstepension Omsesidigt now owns 3,750,000 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $199,012,000 after acquiring an additional 3,000,000 shares during the period. Finally, Provident Trust Co. boosted its position in shares of Tractor Supply by 397.4% during the 4th quarter. Provident Trust Co. now owns 3,380,905 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $179,391,000 after acquiring an additional 2,701,204 shares in the last quarter. 98.72% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Tractor Supply Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of Tractor Supply stock opened at $53.06 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $55.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $55.20. The company has a market cap of $28.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.01, a P/E/G ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.84. Tractor Supply has a 1 year low of $46.06 and a 1 year high of $61.53. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82.

Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) last released 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 net margin of 7.40% and a return on equity of 49.01%. As a group, analysts expect that Tractor Supply will post 2.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.