Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Has $14.26 Million Stock Holdings in Target Corporation $TGT

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in shares of Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 109,161 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,441 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.’s holdings in Target were worth $14,257,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in TGT. Winning Points Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Target in the 4th quarter valued at $611,000. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Target by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 6,194,448 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $605,507,000 after purchasing an additional 142,937 shares in the last quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Target by 41.8% in the 1st quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 111,001 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $13,453,000 after purchasing an additional 32,746 shares in the last quarter. Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich bought a new stake in shares of Target in the 1st quarter worth about $6,686,000. Finally, United Super Pty Ltd in its capacity as Trustee for the Construction & Building Unions Superannuation Fund acquired a new stake in shares of Target during the 4th quarter worth about $27,470,000. Institutional investors own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

TGT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of Target from $147.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Target from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 6th. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price target on Target from $170.00 to $182.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Evercore set a $170.00 price objective on Target in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Target from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $159.52.

Target News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Target this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its earnings forecasts across multiple future periods. Estimates increased for Q3 2027, Q1–Q4 2028, Q1–Q2 2029, FY2028 and FY2029. The FY2029 forecast rose to $10.18 per share from $9.52, while FY2028 increased to $9.53 from $8.90. These revisions suggest improving confidence in Target’s longer-term earnings potential.
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s outlook and recent results provide fundamental support. Target previously raised its full-year outlook and reported quarterly earnings well above expectations, with revenue growth of 5.3% year over year. Management’s projected FY2026 EPS of $9.90–$10.90 also remains above the current analyst consensus of $8.84.
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are reassessing Target’s valuation and turnaround potential. A recent analysis highlights Target’s strong 2026 re-rating compared with the broader retail sector and argues that additional operational progress could be needed for the stock to approach $200. Target Stock Is Up 66% in 2026: What Will It Take to Break Through $200?
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks maintained a “Hold” rating. Although earnings estimates moved higher, the unchanged rating indicates analysts see improving fundamentals but believe much of the recovery may already be reflected in TGT’s share price.
• Neutral Sentiment: Value-focused investors are comparing Target with Costco. The comparison underscores the need to weigh Target’s lower-priced turnaround opportunity against Costco’s established operating performance and valuation. TGT or COST: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and brand risks remain. A Halloween costume controversy was described as an avoidable setback in Target’s effort to win back customers, reinforcing concerns that merchandising and brand missteps could slow the turnaround. 1 Reason Target Stock Is Worth a Second Look This Month

Insider Transactions at Target

In related news, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 926 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.51, for a total transaction of $151,410.26. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 12,266 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,005,613.66. This represents a 7.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Melissa K. Kremer sold 15,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $169.96, for a total transaction of $2,634,380.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 56,981 shares in the company, valued at $9,684,490.76. This trade represents a 21.38% 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 currently owned by insiders.

Target Price Performance

Target stock opened at $163.43 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $145.87 and a 200-day moving average of $131.00. Target Corporation has a 1 year low of $83.44 and a 1 year high of $170.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $74.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.97, a PEG ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.99. 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 (NYSE:TGT) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 19th. The retailer reported $4.11 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.35 by $1.76. The firm had revenue of $26.54 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $26.13 billion. Target had a net margin of 4.08% and a return on equity of 23.23%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.05 earnings per share. Target has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.900-10.900 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Target Corporation will post 8.84 EPS for the current year.

Target Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 12th were issued a dividend of $1.16 per share. This is a boost from Target’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.14. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 12th. Target’s dividend payout ratio is presently 48.18%.

About Target

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.