Target (NYSE:TGT) Stock Price Down 0.8%

Shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) were down 0.8% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $152.91 and last traded at $153.45. Approximately 479,528 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 88% from the average daily volume of 4,023,102 shares. The stock had previously closed at $154.75.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Bank of America upped 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. Citigroup raised their price target on Target from $180.00 to $188.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Target from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Target from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. Finally, BNP Paribas started coverage on shares of Target in a research report on Monday, June 3rd. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $116.00 price target on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, nineteen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $179.69.

Target Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $71.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.24. The company’s 50 day moving average is $148.48 and its 200-day moving average is $154.85.

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

Target Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be given a $1.12 dividend. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.88%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 20th. Target’s payout ratio is 50.28%.

Insider Activity

In other Target news, insider Brian C. Cornell sold 45,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the insider now owns 303,843 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $48,210,768.81. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.13, for a total transaction of $153,130.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 7,276 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,114,173.88. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Brian C. Cornell sold 45,000 shares of Target stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.67, for a total value of $7,140,150.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 303,843 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $48,210,768.81. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.23% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Target

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Aveo Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in Target by 76.5% in the 4th quarter. Aveo Capital Partners LLC now owns 28,741 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,093,000 after buying an additional 12,460 shares in the last quarter. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in Target in the fourth quarter worth $346,000. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its stake in Target by 28.9% in the fourth quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 72,574 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $103,000 after acquiring an additional 16,276 shares during the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Target during the fourth quarter valued at about $208,000. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Target by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 88,256 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $12,569,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.