Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. Boosts Holdings in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 0.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 88,256 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 226 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Target were worth $12,569,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in TGT. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Target by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 5,339 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $760,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Welch & Forbes LLC raised its holdings in shares of Target by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Welch & Forbes LLC now owns 7,715 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,099,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Beacon Financial Advisory LLC raised its holdings in shares of Target by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Beacon Financial Advisory LLC now owns 7,059 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,005,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Target by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC now owns 5,704 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $812,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Janiczek Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Target by 18.8% during the 4th quarter. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC now owns 494 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $70,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. 79.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Target Price Performance

TGT opened at $145.23 on Friday. Target Co. has a 12-month low of $102.93 and a 12-month high of $181.86. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $164.92 and its 200-day simple moving average is $149.85. The company has a market capitalization of $67.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.30, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.16.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 22nd. The retailer reported $2.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.05 by ($0.02). Target had a return on equity of 31.91% and a net margin of 3.87%. The firm had revenue of $24.14 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.52 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.05 EPS. Target’s quarterly revenue was down 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Target Co. will post 9.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Target Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $1.10 per share. This represents a $4.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 14th. Target’s payout ratio is currently 49.38%.

Insider Activity at Target

In related news, insider Melissa K. Kremer sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $165.05, for a total transaction of $495,150.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 30,527 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,038,481.35. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, insider Christina Hennington sold 4,600 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.88, for a total transaction of $786,048.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 38,487 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,576,658.56. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Melissa K. Kremer sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.05, for a total value of $495,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 30,527 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,038,481.35. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 52,600 shares of company stock valued at $8,819,598 over the last quarter. 0.23% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on TGT shares. Robert W. Baird restated an “outperform” rating and set a $190.00 price target on shares of Target in a report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Target from $176.00 to $194.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 6th. Tigress Financial increased their price target on Target from $180.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. Bank of America increased their price target on Target from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 6th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded Target from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $180.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 7th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Target currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $180.41.

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.