The Gap, Inc. (NYSE:GAP) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Buy” by Brokerages

The Gap, Inc. (NYSE:GAP) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Buy” by the seventeen ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $30.1538.

GAP has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of GAP in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Robert W. Baird set a $33.00 price objective on shares of GAP and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Argus upgraded shares of GAP to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company set a $30.00 target price on GAP and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded GAP from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 1st.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other GAP news, Director Robert J. Fisher sold 500,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.45, for a total transaction of $13,725,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 2,329,502 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $63,944,829.90. This represents a 17.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Elisabeth B. Donohue sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.11, for a total value of $81,330.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 1,000 shares in the company, valued at $27,110. The trade was a 75.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 1,349,044 shares of company stock valued at $36,857,065. Insiders own 31.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On GAP

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in GAP in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of GAP in the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC bought a new position in shares of GAP in the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of GAP by 177.0% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 7,016 shares of the company’s stock worth $153,000 after buying an additional 4,483 shares during the period. Finally, Covestor Ltd raised its stake in shares of GAP by 1,228.1% during the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 7,597 shares of the company’s stock worth $163,000 after buying an additional 7,025 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.81% of the company’s stock.

GAP Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of GAP opened at $27.10 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.72, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock has a market cap of $10.08 billion, a PE ratio of 12.10, a PEG ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 2.31. GAP has a 1 year low of $16.99 and a 1 year high of $29.29. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $26.44 and a 200-day simple moving average of $23.47.

GAP (NYSE:GAP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 25th. The company reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.04. GAP had a return on equity of 24.91% and a net margin of 5.57%.The firm had revenue of $3.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.90 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.72 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that GAP will post 2.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

GAP Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 28th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 7th will be given a $0.165 dividend. This represents a $0.66 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 7th. GAP’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.46%.

About GAP

Gap Inc is a global specialty retailer renowned for its portfolio of apparel and accessories brands, including Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Athleta. The company designs, sources and markets clothing across a broad price range and style spectrum, catering to men, women and children. Its offerings extend from everyday wardrobe essentials such as denim, tees and outerwear to performance and lifestyle pieces, reflecting each brand’s distinct identity and price point.

Founded in San Francisco in 1969 by Donald and Doris Fisher, Gap Inc has grown into one of the world’s largest apparel companies.