Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) have earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the thirty-three analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eighteen have issued a hold recommendation and twelve have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $130.6429.

TGT has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Target from $140.00 to $161.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Argus set a $150.00 price target on shares of Target in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $114.00 price target on shares of Target in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Target from $125.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Target from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th.

Target Trading Down 0.1%

TGT opened at $140.23 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $128.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $116.76. The company has a market capitalization of $63.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.52, a PEG ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.00. Target has a 52 week low of $83.44 and a 52 week high of $142.82.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The retailer reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.24. The business had revenue of $25.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.66 billion. Target had a return on equity of 22.92% and a net margin of 3.24%.Target’s revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.30 EPS. Target has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.500 EPS. Analysts forecast that Target will post 8.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Target Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 12th will be given a $1.16 dividend. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 12th. This is a boost from Target’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.14. Target’s dividend payout ratio is currently 60.24%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Target

In related news, insider Cara A. Sylvester sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.89, for a total transaction of $1,258,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 45,930 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,782,127.70. This represents a 17.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Target

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Target during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $587,903,000. TOMS Capital Investment Management LP acquired a new position in Target during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $257,571,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Target by 243.8% during the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,870,210 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $280,563,000 after purchasing an additional 2,035,298 shares in the last quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund increased its stake in Target by 6,639.1% during the 4th quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 1,912,963 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $186,992,000 after purchasing an additional 1,884,577 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in Target by 104.7% during the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 65,505 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $6,403,000 after purchasing an additional 1,448,146 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

About Target

Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) is a U.S.-based general merchandise retailer headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company operates a network of full-line and small-format stores across the United States alongside a national e-commerce platform and mobile app. Target’s retail assortment spans apparel, home goods, electronics, groceries and household essentials, plus beauty, baby and pet categories. The firm complements national brands with a portfolio of owned and exclusive labels and partnerships that help differentiate its merchandise assortment.

Target traces its roots to the Dayton Company, founded by George Dayton in 1902; the Target discount chain was launched in 1962 and the parent company later adopted the Target Corporation name.