Meeder Advisory Services Inc. Makes New $1.38 Million Investment in Target Corporation $TGT

Meeder Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 10,532 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,376,000.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wynn Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Target by 0.9% during the second quarter. Wynn Capital LLC now owns 8,455 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,104,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Target by 16.0% during the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 580 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $70,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC increased its stake in Target by 3.4% during the 1st quarter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC now owns 2,474 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $300,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in Target by 3.4% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,478 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $324,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. Finally, Howe & Rusling Inc. lifted its holdings in Target by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. Howe & Rusling Inc. now owns 2,951 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $358,000 after buying an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

Target Stock Performance

TGT stock opened at $159.11 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $139.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $127.38. Target Corporation has a 12-month low of $83.44 and a 12-month high of $161.98. The firm has a market cap of $72.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.97. 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 (NYSE:TGT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 19th. The retailer reported $4.11 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.35 by $1.76. Target had a net margin of 3.24% and a return on equity of 22.92%. The firm had revenue of $26.54 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $26.15 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.05 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Target has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.900-10.900 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Target Corporation will post 8.43 EPS 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 issued a $1.16 dividend. This is a boost from Target’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.14. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 12th. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. Target’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 61.29%.

Target News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Target this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results exceeded expectations: Target reported $26.54 billion in sales, up 5.3% year over year and above the $26.13 billion consensus estimate. Reported EPS was $4.11 versus expectations of $2.35, while comparable sales rose 3.8% and comparable traffic increased 3.6%. Target Corporation Reports Second Quarter Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Full-year guidance was raised: Target now expects fiscal 2026 EPS of $9.90 to $10.90, well above the previous outlook and the roughly $7.72 analyst consensus cited in the reports. Management also lifted its annual sales outlook, projecting approximately 5% growth. Target lifts annual forecasts again
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability received a major boost: A nearly $1 billion tariff refund materially benefited quarterly earnings, helping Target deliver a substantial EPS beat. Investors also welcomed signs that pricing actions, refreshed categories and digital initiatives are improving demand. Target rises on Q2 beat and outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Digital discovery is expanding: Target said traffic from artificial-intelligence platforms is growing, adding another potential source of online customer acquisition as overall digital and store traffic improve. Target touts AI-driven traffic growth

Insider Activity at Target

In related news, insider Cara A. Sylvester sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

TGT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Zacks Research raised shares of Target from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Target from $129.00 to $157.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Guggenheim upped their price target on shares of Target from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of Target in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of Target from $130.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $145.33.

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.