43,770 Shares in Target Corporation $TGT Bought by Foster & Motley Inc.

Foster & Motley Inc. purchased a new position in Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 43,770 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $5,717,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in TGT. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in shares of Target in the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Jessup Wealth Management Inc purchased a new position in Target in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd acquired a new stake in Target in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC grew its stake in Target by 245.6% in the 1st quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 273 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 194 shares during the period. Finally, Valued Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Target by 134.9% during the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 296 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. 79.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Guggenheim increased their price objective on Target from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on Target from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. DA Davidson lifted their price target on shares of Target from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Evercore set a $150.00 price objective on Target in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of Target from $153.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Target has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $143.85.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Cara A. Sylvester sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 29th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $5,782,127.70. This represents a 17.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Target News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Target this week:

• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson raised its price target on Target from $155 to $170 and reiterated a “buy” rating, implying additional upside from recent trading levels. Target price target raised by DA Davidson
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are highlighting Target’s dividend appeal, which may support demand from income-oriented investors while the stock trades at a valuation below some retail peers. Why Target is a great dividend stock right now
• Neutral Sentiment: Target is scheduled to report second-quarter earnings before the market opens on Wednesday, August 19, followed by a 7:00 a.m. conference call. The event is the immediate catalyst for the stock and could produce significant volatility. Target second-quarter earnings conference call
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre-earnings coverage points to rising estimates, improving merchandising and the possibility of another earnings beat. Investors will focus on sales trends, margins, costs and management’s outlook, particularly because tough year-over-year comparisons could limit gains. Target pre-second-quarter earnings preview
• Negative Sentiment: A review of Target’s five-year performance underscores longer-term concerns: the stock has substantially lagged other major U.S. retailers, raising questions about its competitive position and sustainable growth prospects. Target’s stock down 40 percent in five years

Target Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of Target stock opened at $152.63 on Wednesday. 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 Corporation has a 12-month low of $83.44 and a 12-month high of $156.47. The stock has a market cap of $69.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.16, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $139.08 and a 200-day simple moving average of $126.98.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The retailer reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.24. The business had revenue of $25.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $24.66 billion. Target had a return on equity of 22.92% and a net margin of 3.24%.The business’s revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.30 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Target Corporation will post 8.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Target Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 12th will be given a $1.16 dividend. This is a boost from Target’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.14. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 12th. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. Target’s payout ratio is presently 61.29%.

Target 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.