Target (NYSE:TGT) Stock Bumped Up to Strong-Buy by Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Target (NYSE:TGT) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning,Zacks reports.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Evercore set a $165.00 target price on shares of Target in a research note on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Target in a report on Thursday, August 20th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Target from $166.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Target in a report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, KeyCorp reiterated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Target in a report on Thursday, August 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Target presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $159.33.

Target Stock Performance

NYSE:TGT opened at $151.81 on Monday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $157.33 and its 200 day moving average is $139.27. Target has a fifty-two week low of $83.44 and a fifty-two week high of $170.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.97 billion, a PE ratio of 15.76, a PEG ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 0.99.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 19th. The retailer reported $4.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.35 by $1.76. The company had revenue of $26.54 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $26.13 billion. Target had a return on equity of 23.23% and a net margin of 4.08%. Target’s revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.05 earnings per share. Target has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.900-10.900 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Target will post 8.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Target Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 11th will be given a dividend of $1.16 per share. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 10th. Target’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 48.18%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 926 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $163.51, for a total value of $151,410.26. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 12,266 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,005,613.66. This trade represents a 7.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Melissa K. Kremer sold 15,500 shares of Target stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 24th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $9,684,490.76. The trade was a 21.38% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Target

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bogart Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Target by 41.8% during the first quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 111,001 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $13,453,000 after buying an additional 32,746 shares during the period. Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich bought a new position in Target in the first quarter worth approximately $6,686,000. Saudi Central Bank lifted its holdings in Target by 89.7% during the second quarter. Saudi Central Bank now owns 31,700 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,140,000 after buying an additional 14,986 shares during the period. Nicholas Investment Partners LP lifted its holdings in Target by 204.3% during the second quarter. Nicholas Investment Partners LP now owns 55,154 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $7,204,000 after buying an additional 37,030 shares during the period. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP lifted its holdings in Target by 4,119.2% during the second quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 372,558 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $48,660,000 after buying an additional 363,728 shares during the period. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Target

Target Corporation is a U.S.-based general merchandise retailer that operates stores and digital shopping channels under the Target brand. The company sells a broad assortment of products, including apparel and accessories, beauty and personal care items, home furnishings, electronics, groceries, toys, seasonal merchandise and everyday essentials.

Target offers private-label brands alongside national brands and provides services such as Order Pickup, Drive Up and same-day delivery through Shipt.