The Gap, Inc. (NYSE:GPS) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of The Gap, Inc. (NYSE:GPS) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the fifteen analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eight have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $27.08.

GPS has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com began coverage on GAP in a report on Tuesday. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of GAP from $17.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 31st. Bank of America upgraded shares of GAP from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $18.50 to $25.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Telsey Advisory Group increased their price objective on shares of GAP from $22.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 31st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of GAP from $18.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, May 31st.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Tracy Gardner sold 2,934 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.48, for a total value of $68,890.32. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 51,901 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,218,635.48. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 30.81% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in GPS. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in GAP by 25.8% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,157 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 443 shares during the last quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd increased its holdings in shares of GAP by 37.2% in the 1st quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd now owns 1,965 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 533 shares during the last quarter. Pinkerton Retirement Specialists LLC raised its position in shares of GAP by 14.4% during the 1st quarter. Pinkerton Retirement Specialists LLC now owns 33,597 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $926,000 after buying an additional 4,240 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its position in GAP by 4,441.3% in the second quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 4,950 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $118,000 after acquiring an additional 4,841 shares in the last quarter. Finally, New York State Teachers Retirement System grew its position in GAP by 2.7% in the first quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 270,730 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $7,459,000 after acquiring an additional 7,055 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.81% of the company’s stock.

GAP Stock Up 4.4 %

Shares of NYSE:GPS opened at $24.55 on Tuesday. GAP has a 12-month low of $9.38 and a 12-month high of $30.75. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $23.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $22.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.64, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 2.38. The company has a current ratio of 1.50, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55.

GAP Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 9th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 9th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.44%. GAP’s payout ratio is 33.33%.

GAP Company Profile

The Gap, Inc operates as an apparel retail company. The company offers apparel, accessories, and personal care products for men, women, and children under the Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, and Athleta brands. Its products include adult apparel and accessories; and fitness and lifestyle products for use in yoga, training, sports, travel, and everyday activities for women and girls.