Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Raises Stock Position in Dollar Tree, Inc. $DLTR

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings in Dollar Tree, Inc. (NASDAQ:DLTR) by 7,793.9% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 77,676 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 76,692 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.’s holdings in Dollar Tree were worth $9,555,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. YANKCOM Partnership bought a new stake in shares of Dollar Tree in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Dollar Tree in the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Dollar Tree during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $39,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Dollar Tree during the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Dollar Tree by 90.5% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 423 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 201 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.40% of the company’s stock.

Dollar Tree Stock Up 2.4%

Shares of Dollar Tree stock opened at $95.71 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $101.88 and its 200-day moving average price is $114.16. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. Dollar Tree, Inc. has a 52-week low of $84.71 and a 52-week high of $142.40. The company has a market cap of $18.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.31, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 0.61.

Dollar Tree (NASDAQ:DLTR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 16th. The company reported $2.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.03. Dollar Tree had a net margin of 6.61% and a return on equity of 32.24%. The firm had revenue of $5.45 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.46 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.11 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Dollar Tree, Inc. will post 6.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on DLTR shares. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “underperform” rating on shares of Dollar Tree in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Citigroup cut their target price on Dollar Tree from $132.00 to $125.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Evercore set a $140.00 target price on Dollar Tree in a research note on Monday. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Dollar Tree in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 target price on shares of Dollar Tree in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $121.86.

Dollar Tree Profile

Dollar Tree, Inc is a North American discount retailer that operates a portfolio of value-oriented store banners, primarily Dollar Tree and Family Dollar. The company’s stores offer a broad assortment of everyday items at low price points, including household essentials, food and snacks, health and beauty products, cleaning supplies, seasonal and party goods, home décor, and basic apparel. Dollar Tree’s merchandising strategy emphasizes high-turnover branded and private-label merchandise tailored to budget-conscious consumers, with Family Dollar complementing the chain by offering a wider range of price points and assortment depth in smaller-format neighborhood locations.

Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Chesapeake, Virginia, Dollar Tree has grown through both organic store openings and acquisitions.