Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) Shares Sold by Trust Co. of Vermont

Trust Co. of Vermont decreased its holdings in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 8.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 12,811 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,246 shares during the quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont’s holdings in Target were worth $1,825,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Target by 1.6% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 44,527,706 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,923,428,000 after acquiring an additional 702,565 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position in Target by 9.3% during the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 10,163,864 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,447,538,000 after purchasing an additional 868,274 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in Target by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 9,531,846 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,357,525,000 after purchasing an additional 137,180 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC raised its holdings in shares of Target by 26.5% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 6,762,227 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $747,699,000 after buying an additional 1,415,900 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Target during the fourth quarter worth $759,810,000. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Target Stock Up 2.7 %

Shares of NYSE TGT opened at $144.97 on Tuesday. Target Co. has a 52-week low of $102.93 and a 52-week high of $181.86. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $156.88 and its 200-day simple moving average is $152.64. The firm has a market cap of $67.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.20.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 22nd. The retailer reported $2.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.05 by ($0.02). Target had a return on equity of 31.91% and a net margin of 3.87%. The firm had revenue of $24.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.52 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.05 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Target Co. will post 9.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Target Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 21st will be paid a $1.12 dividend. This is an increase from Target’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.10. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.09%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 21st. Target’s dividend payout ratio is currently 49.38%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Target

In other news, insider Christina Hennington sold 4,600 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.88, for a total transaction of $786,048.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 38,487 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,576,658.56. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.23% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

TGT has been the topic of several research reports. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Target from $190.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 23rd. Bank of America raised their price objective on Target from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 6th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Target from $195.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 1st. DA Davidson raised their price target on shares of Target from $167.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 6th. Finally, Guggenheim upped their price objective on shares of Target from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $178.11.

Target Company Profile

Target Corporation operates as a general merchandise retailer in the United States. The company offers apparel for women, men, boys, girls, toddlers, and infants and newborns, as well as jewelry, accessories, and shoes; and beauty and personal care, baby gear, cleaning, paper products, and pet supplies.