Target Corporation (TGT) - What Are Brokerages Thinking About This Stock?

Key Points

• Broker consensus is “Hold”: Of 31 analysts covering Target, 15 rate it a hold, 12 a buy, 3 a sell, and 1 a strong buy. The average 12-month price target is $159.33, with recent targets ranging from $153 to $175.
• Target recently beat quarterly expectations, reporting $4.11 in EPS versus the $2.35 consensus estimate and $26.54 billion in revenue. Revenue rose 5.3% year over year, and management issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $9.90–$10.90.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.16 per share, equivalent to a 3.0% annualized yield. Institutional investors own 79.73% of the stock, while insider ownership is 0.13%; two insiders recently reduced their holdings through stock sales.

Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT - Get Free Report) has received a consensus rating of "Hold" from the thirty-one brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have issued a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $159.33.

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Target from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on Target from $146.00 to $153.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Wolfe Research set a $169.00 price target on Target in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on Target from $150.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Target from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, October 12th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Target

In related news, insider Melissa K. Kremer sold 15,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.96, for a total value of $2,634,380.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 56,981 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,684,490.76. This trade represents a 21.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 926 shares of Target stock in a transaction dated 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 in the company, valued at approximately $2,005,613.66. The trade was a 7.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Target by 28.5% during the 3rd quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 293 shares of the retailer's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. E Fund Management Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Target by 4.1% during the second quarter. E Fund Management Co. Ltd. now owns 1,747 shares of the retailer's stock worth $228,000 after buying an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Target by 3.5% during the third quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,173 shares of the retailer's stock worth $341,000 after buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Wynn Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Target by 0.9% in the second quarter. Wynn Capital LLC now owns 8,455 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,104,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pinnacle Associates Ltd. raised its position in shares of Target by 0.5% in the third quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 16,069 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,518,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.73% of the company's stock.

Target Stock Performance

Shares of TGT stock opened at $152.83 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $69.43 billion, a PE ratio of 15.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.98. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $157.81 and a 200-day simple moving average of $141.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. Target has a 52-week low of $83.44 and a 52-week high of $170.75.

Target (NYSE:TGT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 19th. The retailer reported $4.11 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.35 by $1.76. The firm had revenue of $26.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $26.13 billion. Target had a return on equity of 23.23% and a net margin of 4.08%. Target's revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. 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, equities analysts expect that Target will post 8.89 EPS for the current year.

Target Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 11th will be paid a $1.16 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 10th. This represents a $4.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. Target's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 48.18%.

Target Company Profile

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

Target also offers services designed to support omnichannel shopping, including order pickup, Drive Up, same-day delivery, and shipping through its digital channels.

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