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

The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX) was the target of some unusual options trading on Wednesday. Traders purchased 19,029 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 67% compared to the average daily volume of 11,421 call options.

TJX Companies Stock Up 0.1 %

NYSE:TJX traded up $0.16 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $126.36. The stock had a trading volume of 4,491,371 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,605,141. TJX Companies has a twelve month low of $87.44 and a twelve month high of $128.00. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $116.97 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $112.98. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The company has a market capitalization of $142.52 billion, a PE ratio of 29.73, a PEG ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.89.

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

TJX Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 14th will be given a dividend of $0.375 per share. This represents a $1.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 14th. TJX Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.29%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on TJX shares. UBS Group raised their target price on TJX Companies from $134.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of TJX Companies from $138.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Loop Capital boosted their price target on shares of TJX Companies from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective 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, Barclays boosted their target price on TJX Companies from $114.00 to $136.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $129.47.

Insider Activity at TJX Companies

In other TJX Companies news, CEO Ernie Herrman sold 15,000 shares of TJX Companies stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.54, for a total transaction of $1,763,100.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 536,148 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $63,018,835.92. The trade was a 2.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On TJX Companies

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. purchased a new stake in shares of TJX Companies during the 1st quarter worth approximately $122,000. Rokos Capital Management LLP purchased a new stake in TJX Companies in the first quarter valued at $26,459,000. Wahed Invest LLC lifted its position in TJX Companies by 14.4% in the first quarter. Wahed Invest LLC now owns 22,498 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailer’s stock valued at $2,282,000 after acquiring an additional 2,826 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Wealth Partners Ltd. boosted its stake in TJX Companies by 8.2% in the first quarter. Strategic Wealth Partners Ltd. now owns 59,358 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailer’s stock valued at $6,020,000 after acquiring an additional 4,485 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LRI Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of TJX Companies during the first quarter worth about $323,000. 91.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.