Target (NYSE:TGT) Shares Up 2.6%

Shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) shot up 2.6% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $152.47 and last traded at $152.35. 509,066 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 87% from the average session volume of 4,013,082 shares. The stock had previously closed at $148.44.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

TGT has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Target from $153.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 29th. Oppenheimer reduced their price target on Target from $200.00 to $180.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Target from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. BNP Paribas started coverage on Target in a research note on Monday, June 3rd. They set an “underperform” rating and a $116.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Target from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, eighteen have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Target currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $179.68.

Target Trading Up 2.0 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.27. The business’s 50-day moving average is $148.02 and its 200 day moving average is $155.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $69.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.24.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Target

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Target

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of TGT. Triad Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Target during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Target by 56.1% during the first quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 178 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Slocum Gordon & Co LLP bought a new position in shares of Target in the second quarter worth about $28,000. Retirement Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Target by 85.0% in the 1st quarter. Retirement Group LLC now owns 198 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ables Iannone Moore & Associates Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Target during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

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.