Target (NYSE:TGT) Given New $88.00 Price Target at BNP Paribas Exane

Target (NYSE:TGT) had its price target raised by BNP Paribas Exane from $63.00 to $88.00 in a research note released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an underperform rating on the retailer’s stock.

Several other brokerages have also weighed in on TGT. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Target from $115.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Wolfe Research raised Target from an “underperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 price target on shares of Target in a research note on Wednesday. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on Target from $90.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, DA Davidson set a $120.00 target price on shares of Target in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $114.90.

Target Stock Performance

NYSE TGT opened at $120.03 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $54.35 billion, a PE ratio of 14.76 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.94. Target has a 52-week low of $83.44 and a 52-week high of $126.00. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $109.11 and a 200 day simple moving average of $98.06.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The retailer reported $2.44 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.16 by $0.28. Target had a net margin of 3.54% and a return on equity of 22.25%. The firm had revenue of $30.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $30.52 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.41 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. Target has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.300- EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.500 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Target will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Target Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 11th were paid a $1.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 11th. This represents a $4.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.8%. Target’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 55.34%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Target

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new position in Target during the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Jessup Wealth Management Inc bought a new position in Target in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Target during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates increased its holdings in shares of Target by 192.0% in the fourth quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 292 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares during the period. Finally, Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Target in the third quarter worth $27,000. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Target News

Here are the key news stories impacting Target this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company unveiled a multi‑year turnaround and incremental spending plan (store refreshes, payroll/training, assortment changes, AI personalization and same‑day/digital investments) that supports a return to growth and justifies the earlier rally. Target outlines strategic plan
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat on EPS and margin improvement (adjusted EPS $2.44 vs. ~$2.16) plus strong free cash flow arguments (supporting dividend/buyback optionality) which drove a sizable short‑term rally. Q4 results press release
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple brokers raised price targets and issued upgrades (UBS, Oppenheimer, Guggenheim, Telsey and others), reflecting renewed investor confidence in the turnaround’s upside. Analyst reactions / price target moves
• Neutral Sentiment: Management issued FY 2026 EPS guidance above consensus (7.50–8.50 vs. ~7.33), signaling medium‑term improvement, but the company’s sales trajectory remains mixed (some categories growing, total revenue still down year‑over‑year). Guidance and sales context
• Neutral Sentiment: Firm is leaning into AI for personalization and same‑day delivery expansion — a potential multi‑quarter driver for digital sales if execution succeeds, but benefits will accrue gradually. AI personalization article
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 2026 guidance was weak (management offered a low Q1 EPS guide below Street expectations), which introduces near‑term downside risk and explains some of the intraday profit‑taking. Guidance details
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and investors warned about execution risk — turning around categories, reworking store layouts and ramping AI are capital‑intensive and operationally complex; some firms (e.g., BofA, BNP Paribas Exane) remain cautious or retain underperform calls. Seeking Alpha critique

Target Company 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.