Analysts Set Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) Target Price at $159.52

Shares of Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) have received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the thirty-two research firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eighteen have issued a hold recommendation and eleven have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $159.5185.

Several research analysts have commented on TGT shares. KeyCorp reaffirmed a “sector weight” rating on shares of Target in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Argus set a $150.00 price target on shares of Target in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Target from $148.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Target from $127.00 to $161.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, DA Davidson increased their price target on Target from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 19th.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Melissa K. Kremer sold 15,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.96, for a total transaction of $2,634,380.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 56,981 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,684,490.76. This trade represents a 21.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 926 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.51, for a total value of $151,410.26. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 12,266 shares in the company, valued at $2,005,613.66. The trade was a 7.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Target

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in TGT. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in Target by 101.3% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,080 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $822,000 after buying an additional 3,059 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP increased its holdings in shares of Target by 39.9% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 38,712 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,040,000 after acquiring an additional 11,047 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Target by 22.8% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 69,660 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $6,872,000 after acquiring an additional 12,948 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. raised its position in shares of Target by 8.0% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 190,860 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,832,000 after acquiring an additional 14,195 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina lifted its stake in shares of Target by 11.0% during the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 272,787 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $26,910,000 after purchasing an additional 27,063 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

Target Trading Down 0.2%

TGT opened at $164.15 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $147.45 and a 200 day moving average of $132.02. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. Target has a 12 month low of $83.44 and a 12 month high of $170.75. The firm has a market cap of $74.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.05, a P/E/G ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.99.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 19th. The retailer reported $4.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.35 by $1.76. The business had revenue of $26.54 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $26.13 billion. Target had a return on equity of 23.23% and a net margin of 4.08%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.05 earnings per share. Target has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.900-10.900 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Target will post 8.85 EPS for the current year.

Target Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 12th were issued a dividend of $1.16 per share. This represents a $4.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 12th. This is a positive change from Target’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.14. Target’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 48.18%.

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.