Zacks Research Has Optimistic Outlook of Target Q2 Earnings

Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q2 2027 EPS estimates for Target in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, June 3rd. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the retailer will post earnings per share of $2.20 for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $2.18. The consensus estimate for Target’s current full-year earnings is $8.35 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Target’s Q3 2027 earnings at $1.91 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $2.56 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $8.38 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $2.37 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $2.04 EPS, Q4 2028 earnings at $2.71 EPS, FY2028 earnings at $8.90 EPS and FY2029 earnings at $9.52 EPS.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on TGT. Evercore set a $130.00 price target on shares of Target in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on shares of Target from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $123.00 price target on shares of Target in a research report on Friday, May 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Target from $120.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Target from $123.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $125.93.

Target Stock Up 1.4%

NYSE TGT opened at $124.93 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. Target has a 1-year low of $83.44 and a 1-year high of $133.10. The company has a 50 day moving average of $124.14 and a 200-day moving average of $111.70. The company has a market cap of $56.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.50, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.00.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 20th. The retailer reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.24. Target had a net margin of 3.24% and a return on equity of 22.92%. The firm had revenue of $25.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.66 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.30 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Target has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.500 EPS.

Target Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 13th were paid a $1.14 dividend. This represents a $4.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 13th. Target’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 60.24%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Cara A. Sylvester sold 10,000 shares of Target stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.89, for a total value of $1,258,900.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 45,930 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,782,127.70. This trade represents a 17.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 2,053 shares of Target stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.19, for a total transaction of $240,591.07. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 12,143 shares in the company, valued at $1,423,038.17. This trade represents a 14.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Target by 101.3% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,080 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $822,000 after buying an additional 3,059 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP grew its stake in shares of Target by 39.9% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 38,712 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,040,000 after buying an additional 11,047 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Target by 22.8% during the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 69,660 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $6,872,000 after buying an additional 12,948 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. grew its stake in shares of Target by 8.0% during the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 190,860 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,832,000 after buying an additional 14,195 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its stake in shares of Target by 11.0% during the second quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 272,787 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $26,910,000 after buying an additional 27,063 shares during the last quarter. 79.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Target News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Target this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised Target’s earnings estimates for FY2027, FY2028 and FY2029, and also increased Q2 2027, Q3 2027 and Q2 2028 EPS forecasts, signaling stronger long-term profit expectations for the retailer.
• Neutral Sentiment: Target announced “Target Circle Deal Days” with discounts of up to 45% on back-to-school, summer and college essentials, which could help drive traffic and sales but is more of a promotional update than a clear earnings catalyst. New, Deep Savings for Back-to-School and Summer: Target Circle Deal Days Delivers Value with Style
• Neutral Sentiment: An article comparing Target with Walmart highlighted Target as a potential turnaround and long-term value play, but it did not include new company-specific financial data. Walmart vs. Target: Which Retailer Is the Better Long-Term Hold?
• Negative Sentiment: Target insider Cara Sylvester sold 10,000 shares, which can sometimes weigh on investor sentiment even if it does not necessarily reflect the company’s fundamentals. Target (NYSE:TGT) Insider Cara Sylvester Sells 10,000 Shares of Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks also trimmed one near-term estimate, cutting Q4 2028 EPS slightly, which suggests some caution around longer-dated earnings expectations.

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.