Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the eleven analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $423.09.

CASY has been the topic of several recent research reports. BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $450.00 price target (up previously from $400.00) on shares of Casey’s General Stores in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. StockNews.com lowered Casey’s General Stores from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 8th. Royal Bank of Canada set a $438.00 price target on Casey’s General Stores and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 12th. Evercore ISI cut their price objective on Casey’s General Stores from $460.00 to $450.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Gordon Haskett upgraded shares of Casey’s General Stores from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Casey’s General Stores

In other news, Director Mike Spanos purchased 256 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 13th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $390.54 per share, with a total value of $99,978.24. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 3,356 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,310,652.24. This trade represents a 8.26 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.56% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Casey’s General Stores

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fire Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Casey’s General Stores in the fourth quarter worth approximately $544,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Casey’s General Stores by 5.9% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,875 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,139,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Casey’s General Stores by 44.3% in the fourth quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,511 shares of the company’s stock worth $599,000 after purchasing an additional 464 shares in the last quarter. Heck Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Casey’s General Stores during the fourth quarter worth $79,000. Finally, Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC raised its holdings in Casey’s General Stores by 76.9% during the fourth quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 3,335 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,322,000 after buying an additional 1,450 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.63% of the company’s stock.

Casey’s General Stores Price Performance

NASDAQ CASY opened at $432.00 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.04 billion, a PE ratio of 30.10, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.49. Casey’s General Stores has a 12 month low of $306.45 and a 12 month high of $445.17. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $413.35 and its 200 day simple moving average is $402.99.

Casey’s General Stores (NASDAQ:CASY) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $2.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.57. The company had revenue of $3.90 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.74 billion. Casey’s General Stores had a net margin of 3.57% and a return on equity of 17.17%. Casey’s General Stores’s revenue was up 17.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.33 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Casey’s General Stores will post 13.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Casey’s General Stores Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 1st will be given a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 1st. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.46%. Casey’s General Stores’s payout ratio is 13.94%.

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.