Griffin Asset Management Inc. Sells 2,352 Shares of The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX)

Griffin Asset Management Inc. decreased its position in The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX) by 1.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 148,546 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailer’s stock after selling 2,352 shares during the quarter. TJX Companies comprises about 2.1% of Griffin Asset Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 4th largest position. Griffin Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in TJX Companies were worth $17,946,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of TJX Companies by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 80,306 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailer’s stock worth $9,702,000 after buying an additional 218 shares during the period. Fortitude Advisory Group L.L.C. raised its holdings in TJX Companies by 43.4% in the fourth quarter. Fortitude Advisory Group L.L.C. now owns 4,250 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailer’s stock valued at $513,000 after acquiring an additional 1,287 shares in the last quarter. Buffington Mohr McNeal raised its stake in shares of TJX Companies by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. Buffington Mohr McNeal now owns 8,276 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailer’s stock valued at $1,000,000 after purchasing an additional 329 shares in the last quarter. Verde Servicos Internacionais S.A. lifted its holdings in TJX Companies by 69.6% during the 4th quarter. Verde Servicos Internacionais S.A. now owns 130,395 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailer’s stock worth $15,753,000 after buying an additional 53,531 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BankPlus Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in TJX Companies in the fourth quarter worth $500,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.09% of the company’s stock.

TJX Companies Price Performance

NYSE:TJX opened at $124.89 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a current ratio of 1.19. The firm has a market cap of $140.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.38, a P/E/G ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 0.91. The TJX Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $92.35 and a 52 week high of $128.00. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $122.84 and its 200 day simple moving average is $117.94.

TJX Companies (NYSE:TJX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 20th. The apparel and home fashions retailer reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.09 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $14.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.95 billion. TJX Companies had a return on equity of 61.82% and a net margin of 8.63%. The company’s revenue was up 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.03 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that The TJX Companies, Inc. will post 4.18 earnings per share for the current year.

TJX Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 6th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 13th will be issued a $0.375 dividend. This represents a $1.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.20%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 13th. TJX Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 35.29%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. StockNews.com raised TJX Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 30th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on TJX Companies from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of TJX Companies from $133.00 to $138.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on TJX Companies from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Finally, Guggenheim upped their price target on shares of TJX Companies from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $131.67.

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.