Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) Given Average Rating of "Hold" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts maintain a “Hold” consensus on Target, with 18 hold, 11 buy and 3 sell ratings. The average 12-month price target is $159.52, below the reported share price of $164.15.
• Target exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $4.11 in EPS versus the $2.35 consensus and $26.54 billion in revenue. Quarterly revenue increased 5.3% year over year, and fiscal 2026 EPS guidance is $9.90–$10.90.
• Target raised its quarterly dividend to $1.16 per share, equivalent to a $4.64 annualized payout and a 2.8% yield.

Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT - Get Free Report) has been given an average recommendation of "Hold" by the thirty-two ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eighteen have assigned a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $159.5185.

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on TGT shares. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Target from $166.00 to $178.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Target from $115.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Roth Capital restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of Target in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Target from $129.00 to $157.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Argus set a $150.00 target price on shares of Target in a report on Friday, May 22nd.

Target Stock Up 0.1%

TGT opened at $164.15 on Friday. Target has a 12 month low of $83.44 and a 12 month high of $170.75. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The business's 50-day moving average price is $146.84 and its 200-day moving average price is $131.57. The company has a market cap of $74.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.05, a P/E/G ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.99.

Target (NYSE:TGT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 19th. The retailer reported $4.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.35 by $1.76. The company had revenue of $26.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $26.13 billion. Target had a return on equity of 23.23% and a net margin of 4.08%.Target's quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.05 EPS. Target has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.900-10.900 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Target will post 8.85 EPS for the current year.

Target Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 12th were issued a $1.16 dividend. This is an increase from Target's previous quarterly dividend of $1.14. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 12th. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. Target's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 48.18%.

Insider Activity at Target

In related news, CAO Matthew Liegel sold 926 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.51, for a total value of $151,410.26. Following the completion of the sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Melissa Kremer sold 15,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the insider directly owned 56,981 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,684,490.76. The trade was a 21.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Target

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of TGT. Kimelman & Baird LLC bought a new stake in Target during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Target in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Archer Investment Corp purchased a new position in shares of Target in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in shares of Target during the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Finally, Jessup Wealth Management Inc bought a new stake in shares of Target during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. 79.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.

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