Oxford Asset Management LLP Invests $1.81 Million in Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO)

Oxford Asset Management LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm acquired 34,099 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,809,000. Tractor Supply accounts for approximately 0.9% of Oxford Asset Management LLP’s holdings, making the stock its 6th biggest holding.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Smithfield Trust Co lifted its position in Tractor Supply by 286.2% during the fourth quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 475 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 352 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in Tractor Supply by 28.2% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,646 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $87,000 after acquiring an additional 362 shares in the last quarter. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC increased 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 during the last quarter. Archer Investment Corp raised its position in 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 purchasing an additional 400 shares during the period. Finally, PrairieView Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 98.72% of the company’s stock.

Tractor Supply Trading Up 1.9 %

NASDAQ:TSCO opened at $49.92 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The company has a market capitalization of $26.54 billion, a PE ratio of 24.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.88. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $53.04 and a 200-day simple moving average of $54.80. Tractor Supply has a 52-week low of $46.85 and a 52-week high of $61.53.

Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The specialty retailer reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.37 by ($0.03). Tractor Supply had a return on equity of 49.01% and a net margin of 7.40%. The company had revenue of $3.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.55 billion. On average, equities research analysts expect that Tractor Supply will post 2.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Tractor Supply Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 26th were issued a $0.92 dividend. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.37%. This is an increase from Tractor Supply’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 26th. Tractor Supply’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.77%.

Tractor Supply declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock 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 buy up to 3.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays reduced 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 report on Monday, December 30th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Tractor Supply from $44.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Raymond James lowered their target price on shares of Tractor Supply from $61.00 to $57.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $67.00 price objective on shares of Tractor Supply in a report on Thursday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Tractor Supply from $58.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $57.88.

Insider Transactions at Tractor Supply

In other Tractor Supply news, EVP Melissa Kersey sold 9,300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.17, for a total value of $494,481.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 34,961 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,858,876.37. This trade represents a 21.01 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Harry A. Lawton III sold 88,095 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $26,686,430.68. This represents a 15.27 % decrease in their position. 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. 0.65% of the stock is currently owned by company 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.