Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Buys 122,300 Shares of Target Corporation $TGT

Key Points

• Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in Target by 122,300 shares (a 2.5% boost) in Q3 to hold 5,051,151 shares, representing about 1.11% of the company valued at $453.05 million.
• Other major institutions also added exposure—Vanguard now owns 51.44M shares, State Street 36.74M, and Norges Bank established a ~ $578M stake—leaving institutions with 79.73% ownership of Target.
• Target beat Q4 EPS estimates ($2.44 vs. $2.16) and unveiled a multi‑year turnaround with FY2026 guidance of $7.50–$8.50 (above consensus); however, weak Q1 guidance introduces near‑term risk, and the stock yields 3.8% following a $1.14 quarterly dividend.

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT - Free Report) by 2.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,051,151 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 122,300 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 1.11% of Target worth $453,050,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Target by 14.7% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 51,444,338 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $5,074,984,000 after acquiring an additional 6,607,982 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Target in the 2nd quarter worth about $578,009,000. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Target by 4.3% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 36,736,101 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,624,016,000 after purchasing an additional 1,529,026 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in Target by 133.9% during the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,223,776 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $219,376,000 after purchasing an additional 1,273,129 shares during the last quarter. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its position in Target by 96.1% in the second quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 2,165,396 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $213,616,000 after buying an additional 1,060,885 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.73% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Target

Here are the key news stories impacting Target this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company unveiled a multi‑year turnaround and incremental spending plan (store refreshes, payroll/training, assortment changes, AI personalization and same‑day/digital investments) that supports a return to growth and justifies the earlier rally. Target outlines strategic plan
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat on EPS and margin improvement (adjusted EPS $2.44 vs. ~$2.16) plus strong free cash flow arguments (supporting dividend/buyback optionality) which drove a sizable short‑term rally. Q4 results press release
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple brokers raised price targets and issued upgrades (UBS, Oppenheimer, Guggenheim, Telsey and others), reflecting renewed investor confidence in the turnaround’s upside. Analyst reactions / price target moves
• Neutral Sentiment: Management issued FY 2026 EPS guidance above consensus (7.50–8.50 vs. ~7.33), signaling medium‑term improvement, but the company’s sales trajectory remains mixed (some categories growing, total revenue still down year‑over‑year). Guidance and sales context
• Neutral Sentiment: Firm is leaning into AI for personalization and same‑day delivery expansion — a potential multi‑quarter driver for digital sales if execution succeeds, but benefits will accrue gradually. AI personalization article
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 2026 guidance was weak (management offered a low Q1 EPS guide below Street expectations), which introduces near‑term downside risk and explains some of the intraday profit‑taking. Guidance details
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and investors warned about execution risk — turning around categories, reworking store layouts and ramping AI are capital‑intensive and operationally complex; some firms (e.g., BofA, BNP Paribas Exane) remain cautious or retain underperform calls. Seeking Alpha critique

Target Trading Down 0.6%

TGT stock opened at $120.03 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. Target Corporation has a twelve month low of $83.44 and a twelve month high of $126.00. The company has a market cap of $54.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.76 and a beta of 1.12. The business has a fifty day moving average of $109.11 and a 200-day moving average of $98.06.

Target (NYSE:TGT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 3rd. The retailer reported $2.44 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.16 by $0.28. The firm had revenue of $30.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $30.52 billion. Target had a return on equity of 22.25% and a net margin of 3.54%.The company's revenue was down 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.41 earnings per share. Target has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.300- EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.500 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Target Corporation will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Target Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 11th were issued a $1.14 dividend. This represents a $4.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 11th. Target's dividend payout ratio is currently 55.34%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane raised their price objective on shares of Target from $63.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a report on Wednesday. Truist Financial increased their price target on Target from $90.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Bank of America initiated coverage on Target in a research report on Friday, February 27th. They issued an "underperform" rating and a $103.00 price objective for the company. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Target from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, DA Davidson set a $120.00 target price on Target in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Target currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $114.90.

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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