TJX Companies (NYSE:TJX) Hits New 1-Year High – Time to Buy?

The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $160.46 and last traded at $157.3920, with a volume of 526218 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $158.23.

Analyst Ratings Changes

TJX has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b+)” rating on shares of TJX Companies in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wells Fargo & Company restated a “positive” rating and issued a $150.00 target price (up previously from $145.00) on shares of TJX Companies in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Barclays set a $172.00 price objective on TJX Companies and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $170.00 target price on shares of TJX Companies in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of TJX Companies from $150.00 to $154.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $163.86.

TJX Companies Stock Down 1.4%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 0.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $173.25 billion, a PE ratio of 34.44, a PEG ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $154.62 and a 200-day moving average price of $146.90.

TJX Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 12th will be given a $0.425 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 12th. This represents a $1.70 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. TJX Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 37.53%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On TJX Companies

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Trust Point Inc. boosted its stake in shares of TJX Companies by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Trust Point Inc. now owns 5,227 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailer’s stock worth $803,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Jaffetilchin Investment Partners LLC boosted its position in TJX Companies by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Jaffetilchin Investment Partners LLC now owns 4,236 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailer’s stock worth $651,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of TJX Companies by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,595 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailer’s stock worth $859,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Tempus Wealth Planning LLC increased its holdings in TJX Companies by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Tempus Wealth Planning LLC now owns 12,277 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailer’s stock valued at $1,886,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Verde Capital Management grew its position in shares of TJX Companies by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Verde Capital Management now owns 10,022 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailer’s stock valued at $1,539,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.09% of the company’s stock.

About TJX Companies

TJX Companies, Inc is a leading off-price retailer of apparel, footwear, home fashions and other consumer goods. The company operates multiple retail concepts that offer discounted brand-name and designer merchandise, including well-known banners such as T.J. Maxx and Marshalls in the United States, HomeGoods for home furnishings, TK Maxx in parts of Europe, and Winners and Homesense in Canada. Merchandise categories span women’s, men’s and children’s apparel, accessories, beauty, home décor, kitchenware and small furniture, with frequent changes in assortment that create a “treasure-hunt” shopping experience for consumers.

The company’s business model centers on opportunistic buying, purchasing excess, irregular or out-of-season inventory from manufacturers, department stores and other suppliers, and passing savings to customers through lower prices.