Cambridge Trust Co. Lowers Stock Position in The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX)

Cambridge Trust Co. cut its stake in shares of The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX) by 1.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 72,447 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailer’s stock after selling 1,158 shares during the period. Cambridge Trust Co.’s holdings in TJX Companies were worth $6,796,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of TJX Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC acquired a new position in shares of TJX Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. BKM Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of TJX Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. ICA Group Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of TJX Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of TJX Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. 91.09% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at TJX Companies

In related news, EVP Louise Greenlees sold 2,694 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.83, for a total transaction of $266,248.02. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 50,273 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,968,480.59. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other TJX Companies news, EVP Louise Greenlees sold 2,694 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.83, for a total value of $266,248.02. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 50,273 shares in the company, valued at $4,968,480.59. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Ernie Herrman sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.98, for a total transaction of $1,979,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 515,801 shares in the company, valued at approximately $51,053,982.98. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently weighed in on TJX. Redburn Atlantic lowered shares of TJX Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $100.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Monday, February 5th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $105.00 target price on shares of TJX Companies in a report on Wednesday, February 28th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of TJX Companies from $95.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 29th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of TJX Companies from $95.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, March 1st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $102.19.

TJX Companies Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of TJX traded down $0.49 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $92.64. The company had a trading volume of 1,609,393 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,001,300. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $97.80 and its 200 day moving average price is $93.59. The stock has a market cap of $104.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.12, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.86. The TJX Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $75.65 and a 52 week high of $102.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

TJX Companies (NYSE:TJX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 28th. The apparel and home fashions retailer reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.12 by $0.10. TJX Companies had a net margin of 8.25% and a return on equity of 64.18%. The business had revenue of $16.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.89 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that The TJX Companies, Inc. will post 4.07 EPS for the current year.

TJX Companies announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, February 28th that permits the company to repurchase $2.50 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the apparel and home fashions retailer to reacquire up to 2.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

TJX Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 6th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 16th will be given a dividend of $0.375 per share. This represents a $1.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.62%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 15th. This is an increase from TJX Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.33. TJX Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 38.86%.

TJX Companies Company Profile

The TJX Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an off-price apparel and home fashions retailer in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. It operates through four segments: Marmaxx, HomeGoods, TJX Canada, and TJX International. The company sells family apparel, including footwear and accessories; home fashions, such as home basics, furniture, rugs, lighting products, giftware, soft home products, decorative accessories, tabletop, and cookware, as well as expanded pet, and gourmet food departments; jewelry and accessories; and other merchandise.