Madison Investment Advisors Acquires 512,440 Shares in The TJX Companies, Inc.

Madison Investment Advisors LLC has made a notable investment by acquiring a new position in The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX - Free Report) during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year. This acquisition was disclosed in their most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 512,440 shares of the company, which are valued at roughly $61,908,000.

In addition to Madison Investment Advisors, several other hedge funds have also recently traded shares of TJX Companies. For instance, State Street Corp increased its stake in the company by 1.0% in the third quarter, now owning 47,556,435 shares, which are worth approximately $5,589,783,000 after buying an additional 469,287 shares in the previous quarter. Similarly, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake by 1.5%, bringing its total holdings to 23,857,584 shares valued at $2,795,121,000 after acquiring an additional 363,707 shares.

Moreover, UBS AM, a unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC, expanded its position in TJX Companies by 7.5%, increasing its total ownership to 9,182,564 shares worth $1,079,319,000 after purchasing 643,833 shares. Franklin Resources Inc. also increased its stake by 9.9%, buying 657,529 shares to hold a total of 7,271,499 shares valued at $837,951,000. Lastly, Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its position by 13.3% and now owns 7,031,237 shares worth $850,428,000 after acquiring an extra 827,103 shares. Overall, institutional investors control 91.09% of the company's stock.

Recent Analyst Ratings

A number of research analysts have weighed in on TJX Companies' stock recently. Evercore ISI raised its price target from $138.00 to $142.00 while assigning an 'outperform' rating in a report on November 21st. Robert W. Baird also increased its price target from $138.00 to $140.00 and reiterated an 'outperform' rating as detailed in a research note on February 27th. Moreover, Telsey Advisory Group confirmed its 'outperform' rating and set a price target of $145.00, and Morgan Stanley lifted its target from $130.00 to $135.00, rating the stock as 'overweight'. However, StockNews.com downgraded the stock from a 'buy' to a 'hold' rating on February 27th. Currently, three analysts have a hold rating, while fifteen rate the stock as a buy. The consensus rating for TJX Companies is 'Moderate Buy' with an average target price of $135.06.

Current Stock Performance

As of Thursday, TJX Companies' stock is trading at $115.34. The company boasts a fifty-day moving average of $122.50 and a 200-day moving average of $120.30. Over the past year, the stock hit a low of $92.35 and a high of $128.00. With a market capitalization of $129.66 billion, the company reports a P/E ratio of 27.14 and a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75. It also has a beta of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.50, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

Financial Results

TJX Companies last reported its quarterly earnings on February 26th, revealing an earnings per share (EPS) of $1.23, exceeding analyst expectations of $1.16 by $0.07. The company's revenue for the quarter totaled $16.35 billion, higher than the consensus estimate of $16.24 billion. TJX Companies registered a net margin of 8.63% and a significant return on equity of 61.82%. Analysts predict that the company will achieve earnings per share of 4.18 for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Alan M. Bennett sold 8,000 shares of TJX Companies on February 27th at an average price of $123.53, totaling $988,240.00. This transaction has been documented in a legal filing with the SEC. Similarly, CEO Ernie Herrman sold 23,428 shares on March 5th at an average price of $123.03, amounting to a total of $2,882,346.84. Following this sale, the CEO's total ownership decreased by 4.62%, with his remaining shares valued at $59,569,772.67. Corporate insiders hold a mere 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Company Overview

The TJX Companies, Inc., along with its subsidiaries, operates as an off-price retailer specializing in apparel and home fashions across various locations, including the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. The company operates under four segments: Marmaxx, HomeGoods, TJX Canada, and TJX International. It offers a wide range of products, including family apparel, footwear, accessories, home furnishings such as rugs, furniture, and cookware, as well as gourmet food items and pet supplies.

investment, shares, retailer