Natixis Advisors LLC Reduces Stock Holdings in Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY)

Natixis Advisors LLC trimmed its position in shares of Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) by 4.1% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 55,511 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,350 shares during the quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC’s holdings in Casey’s General Stores were worth $21,995,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of CASY. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Casey’s General Stores during the 4th quarter worth $236,500,000. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in Casey’s General Stores by 49.9% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 524,237 shares of the company’s stock worth $204,861,000 after purchasing an additional 174,586 shares during the period. Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its stake in shares of Casey’s General Stores by 1,819.1% in the third quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 130,291 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,959,000 after purchasing an additional 123,502 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of Casey’s General Stores by 281.4% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 164,656 shares of the company’s stock valued at $61,863,000 after purchasing an additional 121,488 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in shares of Casey’s General Stores by 18.7% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 758,804 shares of the company’s stock valued at $285,090,000 after buying an additional 119,350 shares in the last quarter. 85.63% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Mike Spanos acquired 256 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 13th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $390.54 per share, for a total transaction of $99,978.24. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 3,356 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,310,652.24. This represents a 8.26 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.56% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Casey’s General Stores Price Performance

CASY stock opened at $399.68 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $409.58 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $400.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.49. The stock has a market cap of $14.84 billion, a PE ratio of 27.85, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.87. Casey’s General Stores, Inc. has a one year low of $303.95 and a one year high of $445.17.

Casey’s General Stores (NASDAQ:CASY) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $2.33 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.57. Casey’s General Stores had a return on equity of 17.17% and a net margin of 3.57%. The business had revenue of $3.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.74 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.33 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 17.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Casey’s General Stores, Inc. will post 13.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Casey’s General Stores Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 1st will be given a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 1st. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.50%. Casey’s General Stores’s payout ratio is 13.94%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on CASY shares. StockNews.com cut shares of Casey’s General Stores from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 8th. Royal Bank of Canada set a $438.00 price objective on Casey’s General Stores and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Gordon Haskett raised Casey’s General Stores from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $450.00 price target (up from $400.00) on shares of Casey’s General Stores in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on shares of Casey’s General Stores from $460.00 to $450.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $423.09.

About Casey’s General Stores

Casey’s General Stores, Inc engages in the provision of management and operation of convenience stores and gasoline stations. It provides self-service gasoline, a wide selection of grocery items, and an array of freshly prepared food items. The firm offers food, beverages, tobacco products, health and beauty aids, automotive products, and other non-food items.