Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) Shares Sold by Great Diamond Partners LLC

Great Diamond Partners LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 27.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,855 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 705 shares during the quarter. Great Diamond Partners LLC’s holdings in Target were worth $289,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in TGT. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. grew its position in Target by 0.6% in the first quarter. Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. now owns 10,773 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,909,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Target by 20.8% during the second quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 400 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. Integral Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Target by 5.3% in the second quarter. Integral Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 1,382 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $203,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. Finally, Trust Co. of Vermont grew its holdings in Target by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 15,678 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,444,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

Target Stock Performance

TGT opened at $148.50 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $153.33 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $151.51. 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 company has a market capitalization of $68.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.24. Target Co. has a 1-year low of $105.23 and a 1-year high of $181.86.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 21st. The retailer reported $2.57 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.18 by $0.39. The company had revenue of $25.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.19 billion. Target had a return on equity of 33.10% and a net margin of 4.18%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.80 EPS. Research analysts predict that Target Co. will post 9.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Target Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be paid a $1.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.02%. Target’s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Richard H. Gomez sold 6,348 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.17, for a total transaction of $997,715.16. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 123,551 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,418,510.67. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 1,000 shares of Target stock in a transaction dated 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,114,173.88. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Richard H. Gomez sold 6,348 shares of Target stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.17, for a total transaction of $997,715.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 123,551 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,418,510.67. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 52,348 shares of company stock worth $8,290,995 in the last ninety days. 0.15% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Target from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $195.00 price target on shares of Target in a report on Thursday, September 19th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Target from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. Daiwa America upgraded shares of Target to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 26th. Finally, Melius Research began coverage on shares of Target in a report on Monday, September 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $180.00 price objective for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, twenty have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $179.47.

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.