Emerald Advisers LLC Has $431,000 Position in Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO)

Emerald Advisers LLC raised its position in Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) by 401.4% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 8,127 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after buying an additional 6,506 shares during the period. Emerald Advisers LLC’s holdings in Tractor Supply were worth $431,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in 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 valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 352 shares during the last quarter. PrairieView Partners LLC increased its position in Tractor Supply by 400.0% in the 4th quarter. PrairieView Partners LLC now owns 500 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the period. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC raised its stake in shares of Tractor Supply by 400.0% during the fourth quarter. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC now owns 500 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Archer Investment Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Tractor Supply by 400.0% during the fourth quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 500 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the period. Finally, Kentucky Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Tractor Supply in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. 98.72% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Tractor Supply

In related news, CFO Kurt D. Barton sold 12,146 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.00, for a total value of $680,176.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 47,715 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,672,040. This represents a 20.29 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Matthew L. Rubin sold 3,850 shares of Tractor Supply stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.69, for a total transaction of $222,106.50. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 31,787 shares in the company, valued at $1,833,792.03. This represents a 10.80 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 137,993 shares of company stock worth $7,538,068. Insiders own 0.24% of the company’s stock.

Tractor Supply Trading Up 1.2 %

NASDAQ TSCO opened at $52.46 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. Tractor Supply has a 52 week low of $48.30 and a 52 week high of $61.53. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $55.03 and a 200-day moving average price of $55.69. The company has a market cap of $28.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.72, a P/E/G ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.85.

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

Tractor Supply declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Thursday, February 13th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the specialty retailer to purchase up to 3.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Tractor Supply Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 11th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 26th were given a $0.92 dividend. This is a boost from Tractor Supply’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 26th. This represents a $3.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.01%. Tractor Supply’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.10%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently issued reports on TSCO shares. Loop Capital raised their target price on Tractor Supply from $53.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Tractor Supply from $58.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Mizuho upped their target price on Tractor Supply from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $67.00 price target on shares of Tractor Supply in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $60.00 price objective on shares of Tractor Supply in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus 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.