Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) Now Covered by Analysts at Stephens

Stock analysts at Stephens began coverage on shares of Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage set an “equal weight” rating and a $56.00 price target on the specialty retailer’s stock. Stephens’ target price indicates a potential upside of 17.01% from the company’s previous close.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on TSCO. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Tractor Supply from $262.00 to $52.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 30th. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $60.00 price objective on shares of Tractor Supply in a report on Friday, January 31st. Loop Capital boosted their target price on Tractor Supply from $53.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $67.00 target price on shares of Tractor Supply in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price target on Tractor Supply from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Tractor Supply presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $59.07.

Tractor Supply Trading Down 0.3 %

Shares of NASDAQ:TSCO traded down $0.16 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $47.86. The stock had a trading volume of 467,913 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,095,608. The company’s 50 day moving average is $54.30 and its 200-day moving average is $55.48. Tractor Supply has a 12-month low of $47.06 and a 12-month high of $61.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 1.43. The company has a market cap of $25.44 billion, a PE ratio of 23.45, a P/E/G ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.88.

Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The specialty retailer reported $0.44 earnings per share (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%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Tractor Supply will post 2.17 EPS for the current year.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Harry A. Lawton III sold 88,095 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.59, for a total transaction of $4,809,106.05. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 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 transaction, the senior vice president now 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. Over the last three months, insiders sold 137,993 shares of company stock valued at $7,538,068. 0.24% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Tractor Supply

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in TSCO. Smithfield Trust Co lifted its stake in Tractor Supply by 286.2% during the fourth quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 475 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 352 shares during the period. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC boosted its stake in Tractor Supply by 944.4% in the 4th quarter. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC now owns 470 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 425 shares in the last quarter. PrairieView Partners LLC grew its position 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 acquiring an additional 400 shares during the period. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC raised its stake in Tractor Supply by 400.0% during the fourth 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. Finally, 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 valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the period. 98.72% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.