KeyCorp Reaffirms “Sector Weight” Rating for Target (NYSE:TGT)

Target (NYSE:TGT)‘s stock had its “sector weight” rating reaffirmed by analysts at KeyCorp in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports.

A number of other analysts have also commented on TGT. Evercore set a $150.00 price objective on Target in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Target in a research note on Friday, July 31st. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Target in a research report on Thursday. DA Davidson set a $185.00 price target on Target in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Target in a research note on Monday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $151.15.

Target Trading Up 4.3%

Shares of TGT stock opened at $159.11 on Thursday. Target has a fifty-two week low of $83.44 and a fifty-two week high of $161.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a current ratio of 0.93. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $139.71 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $127.38. The company has a market cap of $72.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.02, a PEG ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.97.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 19th. The retailer reported $4.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.35 by $1.76. Target had a return on equity of 22.92% and a net margin of 3.24%.The firm had revenue of $26.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $26.15 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.05 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Target has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.900-10.900 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Target will post 8.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Cara A. Sylvester sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.89, for a total value of $1,258,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 45,930 shares in the company, valued at $5,782,127.70. The trade was a 17.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Target

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of TGT. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in Target during the 2nd quarter valued at $5,054,604,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in shares of Target in the second quarter valued at about $831,466,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Target during the fourth quarter valued at about $587,903,000. TOMS Capital Investment Management LP bought a new position in shares of Target during the fourth quarter valued at about $257,571,000. Finally, Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Target during the second quarter worth about $320,006,000. Institutional investors own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

Target News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Target this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Target reported second-quarter sales of $26.54 billion, up 5.3% year over year and above Wall Street expectations. Comparable sales rose 3.8%, supported by a 3.6% increase in traffic, suggesting the retailer’s pricing, merchandising and turnaround initiatives are attracting more shoppers. Target Corporation Reports Second Quarter Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Profit substantially exceeded expectations, with reported EPS of $4.11 versus a $2.35 consensus estimate; another earnings report cited adjusted EPS of $2.46 versus $2.30 expected. Revenue also topped estimates. The results provide further evidence that Target’s turnaround is gaining traction. Target Earnings Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised fiscal 2026 guidance to $9.90-$10.90 in EPS, well above the reported consensus estimate of $7.72, and projected approximately 5% annual sales growth. The increased outlook is a key catalyst for investor optimism. Target lifts annual forecasts
• Positive Sentiment: Target said traffic from artificial-intelligence platforms is contributing to digital growth, adding a potential new customer-acquisition channel as online sales and category performance improve. Target Touts Jump in Traffic From AI Platforms
• Neutral Sentiment: Target’s $1.16 quarterly dividend, or $4.64 annually, remains attractive to income investors, but the stock’s valuation has expanded after its rally, with a P/E near 21 and the shares close to their 12-month high. Target versus Walmart dividend comparison
• Negative Sentiment: Nearly $1 billion in tariff refunds boosted quarterly profitability, creating a potentially difficult comparison and raising questions about how much of the earnings beat is repeatable. Rising bond yields and weaker guidance from Walmart could also pressure retail-sector sentiment. Five Things to Know Before the Stock Market Opens

Target Company Profile

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.