Brokerages Set Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) Price Target at $131.96

Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) has been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the thirty-two research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seventeen have assigned a hold recommendation, eleven have given a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $131.9630.

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Target from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $162.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Roth Capital reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $114.00 price objective on shares of Target in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Truist Financial upped their target price on Target from $123.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price target on Target from $148.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Target in a report on Friday, June 12th.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Cara A. Sylvester sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.89, for a total value of $1,258,900.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 45,930 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,782,127.70. This trade represents a 17.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Target

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in TGT. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in Target during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Jessup Wealth Management Inc bought a new position in Target in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd bought a new position in Target in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates lifted its holdings in shares of Target by 192.0% during the fourth quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 292 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 192 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Target during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. 79.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Target Stock Performance

TGT stock opened at $139.93 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $129.35 and a 200 day simple moving average of $120.58. The company has a market capitalization of $63.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.48, a PEG ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a quick ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. Target has a fifty-two week low of $83.44 and a fifty-two week high of $144.40.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The retailer reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.24. The firm had revenue of $25.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $24.66 billion. Target had a net margin of 3.24% and a return on equity of 22.92%. Target’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.30 earnings per share. Target has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.500 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Target will post 8.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Target Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 12th will be issued a $1.16 dividend. This is an increase 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 3.3%. Target’s dividend payout ratio is presently 60.24%.

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.