Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-nine analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, nineteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $179.69.

Several equities analysts recently commented on TGT shares. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Target from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Target from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. StockNews.com upgraded Target from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $180.00 price objective on shares of Target in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on Target from $180.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd.

Target Stock Performance

TGT opened at $152.86 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $149.11 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $154.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.27. The firm has a market cap of $70.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.16, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.24. Target has a 1-year low of $102.93 and a 1-year high of $181.86.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 21st. The retailer reported $2.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.18 by $0.39. Target had a return on equity of 33.10% and a net margin of 4.18%. The business had revenue of $25.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.19 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.80 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Target will post 9.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Target Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be issued a $1.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.93%. Target’s dividend payout ratio is presently 50.28%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Richard H. Gomez sold 6,348 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.17, for a total transaction of $997,715.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 123,551 shares in the company, valued at $19,418,510.67. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other Target news, insider Brian C. Cornell sold 45,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.67, for a total value of $7,140,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 303,843 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $48,210,768.81. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Richard H. Gomez sold 6,348 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.17, for a total value of $997,715.16. Following the sale, the insider now owns 123,551 shares in the company, valued at $19,418,510.67. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 52,348 shares of company stock worth $8,290,995. Corporate insiders own 0.23% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Target

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. HBW Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Target by 15.3% in the third quarter. HBW Advisory Services LLC now owns 15,749 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,455,000 after buying an additional 2,085 shares during the last quarter. Rockland Trust Co. increased its position in shares of Target by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 9,016 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,405,000 after acquiring an additional 262 shares during the period. Farmers Trust Co. raised its stake in Target by 38.1% in the 3rd quarter. Farmers Trust Co. now owns 2,128 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $332,000 after acquiring an additional 587 shares during the last quarter. Curbstone Financial Management Corp lifted its position in Target by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Curbstone Financial Management Corp now owns 11,134 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,735,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the period. Finally, Czech National Bank grew its stake in Target by 6.9% during the 3rd quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 94,277 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $14,694,000 after purchasing an additional 6,119 shares during the last quarter. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Target

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.