Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) Shares Purchased by Larson Financial Group LLC

Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 25.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 8,803 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,760 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Target were worth $1,372,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its position in shares of Target by 6.8% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 4,374,851 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $647,652,000 after acquiring an additional 279,656 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Target by 11.4% in the 2nd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,316,738 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $639,050,000 after purchasing an additional 440,307 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of Target by 16.2% in the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,114,400 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $461,031,000 after purchasing an additional 435,229 shares during the last quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Target by 9.7% during the 2nd quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,094,644 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $458,131,000 after buying an additional 272,521 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Target by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,053,471 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $475,914,000 after buying an additional 56,695 shares during the last quarter. 79.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Target Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE TGT opened at $125.01 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $151.27 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $149.54. Target Co. has a 52-week low of $120.21 and a 52-week high of $181.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $57.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.24.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 20th. The retailer reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.30 by ($0.45). Target had a net margin of 4.06% and a return on equity of 31.11%. The company had revenue of $25.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.87 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.10 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Target Co. will post 9.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Target Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be issued a $1.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.58%. Target’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 47.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on TGT shares. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $195.00 price target on shares of Target in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Daiwa America upgraded Target to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 26th. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Target from $195.00 to $160.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $180.00 price objective on shares of Target in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on shares of Target from $160.00 to $120.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have given a hold rating, sixteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $162.13.

Insider Activity at Target

In related news, insider Richard H. Gomez sold 6,348 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.17, for a total value of $997,715.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 123,551 shares in the company, valued at $19,418,510.67. This represents a 4.89 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.13, for a total transaction of $153,130.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 7,276 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,114,173.88. The trade was a 12.08 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 52,348 shares of company stock worth $8,290,995 in the last ninety days. 0.15% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Target 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.