Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Increases Stock Position in Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY)

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its position in shares of Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) by 15.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 290,420 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 38,684 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans owned 0.78% of Casey’s General Stores worth $115,089,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in CASY. Private Trust Co. NA grew its stake in shares of Casey’s General Stores by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 2,072 shares of the company’s stock worth $778,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its stake in Casey’s General Stores by 24.2% in the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 149 shares of the company’s stock valued at $59,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the period. Harbour Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in Casey’s General Stores by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 1,002 shares of the company’s stock valued at $397,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Laidlaw Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Casey’s General Stores by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Laidlaw Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,063 shares of the company’s stock worth $421,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the period. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc increased its stake in shares of Casey’s General Stores by 3.3% in the third quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,078 shares of the company’s stock worth $405,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. 85.63% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Casey’s General Stores Stock Up 1.0 %

CASY stock opened at $399.68 on Tuesday. Casey’s General Stores, Inc. has a 1-year low of $303.95 and a 1-year high of $445.17. The stock has a market cap of $14.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The company’s 50 day moving average is $409.58 and its 200 day moving average is $400.36.

Casey’s General Stores (NASDAQ:CASY) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $2.33 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.57. Casey’s General Stores had a net margin of 3.57% and a return on equity of 17.17%. The firm had revenue of $3.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.74 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.33 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.50%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 1st. Casey’s General Stores’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.94%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Insider Transactions at Casey’s General Stores

In other Casey’s General Stores news, Director Mike Spanos purchased 256 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 13th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $390.54 per share, with a total value of $99,978.24. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 3,356 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,310,652.24. The trade was a 8.26 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.56% of the company’s stock.

Casey’s General Stores Company Profile

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.