Stock Traders Buy High Volume of Call Options on TJX Companies (NYSE:TJX)

The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Traders bought 19,029 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 67% compared to the average volume of 11,421 call options.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently weighed in on TJX. Loop Capital upped their price target on shares of TJX Companies from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of TJX Companies from $116.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. Bank of America boosted their target price on TJX Companies from $115.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of TJX Companies from $113.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded TJX Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, TJX Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $129.47.

TJX Companies Stock Up 0.1 %

NYSE TJX traded up $0.16 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $126.36. 4,314,060 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,263,385. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The company has a 50 day moving average of $116.79 and a two-hundred day moving average of $112.88. The firm has a market cap of $142.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.69, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89. TJX Companies has a 52-week low of $87.44 and a 52-week high of $128.00.

TJX Companies (NYSE:TJX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 20th. The apparel and home fashions retailer reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.09 by $0.05. TJX Companies had a return on equity of 61.82% and a net margin of 8.63%. The firm had revenue of $14.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.95 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.03 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that TJX Companies will post 4.18 earnings per share for the current year.

TJX Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 14th will be given a $0.375 dividend. This represents a $1.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 14th. TJX Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 35.29%.

Insider Transactions at TJX Companies

In related news, CEO Ernie Herrman sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.54, for a total value of $1,763,100.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 536,148 shares in the company, valued at approximately $63,018,835.92. This represents a 2.72 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On TJX Companies

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC purchased a new position in TJX Companies during the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in shares of TJX Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in TJX Companies in the third quarter valued at $30,000. Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of TJX Companies during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Copeland Capital Management LLC bought a new position in TJX Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.09% of the company’s stock.

About TJX Companies

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.