Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) Shares Sold by Blue Chip Partners LLC

Blue Chip Partners LLC decreased its position in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT - Free Report) by 6.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 138,066 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 10,033 shares during the quarter. Target accounts for approximately 1.6% of Blue Chip Partners LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest position. Blue Chip Partners LLC's holdings in Target were worth $18,664,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in Target in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. MCF Advisors LLC raised its position in Target by 175.3% in the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 256 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the period. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. raised its position in Target by 110.7% in the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 257 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the period. FSA Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Target in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Target in the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.73% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

TGT has been the subject of several research reports. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Target from $130.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Guggenheim boosted their price target on shares of Target from $145.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Gordon Haskett downgraded shares of Target from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Target from $195.00 to $160.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, Evercore ISI dropped their price target on shares of Target from $165.00 to $130.00 and set an "in-line" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eighteen have assigned a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $157.70.

Target Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:TGT traded down $2.55 on Thursday, reaching $128.20. The company's stock had a trading volume of 6,191,573 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,015,622. The stock's 50-day moving average is $134.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $142.84. Target Co. has a 52-week low of $120.21 and a 52-week high of $181.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $58.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.60, a PEG ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 1.15.

Target (NYSE:TGT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 20th. The retailer reported $1.85 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 business had revenue of $25.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $25.87 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.10 earnings per share. Target's quarterly revenue was up .9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Target Co. will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Target Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th will be issued a $1.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.49%. Target's payout ratio is 47.51%.

About Target

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.