Calton & Associates Inc. Takes $944,000 Position in Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT)

Calton & Associates Inc. acquired a new position in Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 9,049 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $944,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Target by 101.3% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,080 shares of the retailer's stock worth $822,000 after buying an additional 3,059 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Target by 74.3% during the 4th quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,480 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $606,000 after acquiring an additional 1,910 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Target by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 24,075 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,254,000 after buying an additional 675 shares in the last quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. increased its position in shares of Target by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. now owns 196,592 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $26,575,000 after buying an additional 2,659 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HUB Investment Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Target by 27.0% in the 4th quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,988 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $269,000 after buying an additional 423 shares in the last quarter. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Target Stock Up 1.1%

NYSE TGT traded up $1.13 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $107.67. 1,892,168 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,083,741. Target Corporation has a 52-week low of $87.35 and a 52-week high of $167.40. The firm has a market cap of $48.92 billion, a PE ratio of 11.83, a PEG ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 1.22. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $98.47 and a 200 day simple moving average of $109.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.25.

Target (NYSE:TGT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 21st. The retailer reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.65 by ($0.35). Target had a return on equity of 25.59% and a net margin of 3.95%. The firm had revenue of $24.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $24.54 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.03 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Target Corporation will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Target Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 13th will be given a dividend of $1.12 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 13th. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.16%. Target's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.11%.

Insider Transactions at Target

In related news, insider Brian C. Cornell sold 45,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.18, for a total transaction of $4,328,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 246,453 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,703,849.54. This represents a 15.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on Target from $112.00 to $103.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Target from $135.00 to $115.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Robert W. Baird set a $100.00 price objective on Target in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Target from $97.00 to $94.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, Evercore ISI lowered their price objective on shares of Target from $130.00 to $120.00 and set an "in-line" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twenty-four have assigned a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Target presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $115.65.

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.