Independent Advisor Alliance Increases Position in Target Corporation $TGT

Key Points

• Independent Advisor Alliance increased its Target stake by 25.2% in the fourth quarter, buying 9,340 additional shares and bringing its holdings to 46,338 shares valued at about $4.53 million.
• Target reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $2.44 per share, topping estimates, though revenue of $30.45 billion was slightly below expectations and down 1.5% year over year.
• Wall Street sentiment remains mixed: several firms raised price targets, but the overall consensus is still Hold, with analysts pointing to both improving setup and a potentially tougher sales backdrop ahead.

Independent Advisor Alliance lifted its holdings in Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT - Free Report) by 25.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 46,338 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 9,340 shares during the period. Independent Advisor Alliance's holdings in Target were worth $4,530,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in shares of Target during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates lifted its holdings in Target by 192.0% during the fourth quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 292 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Target during the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Key Financial Inc lifted its holdings in Target by 77.4% during the third quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 346 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC boosted its holdings in Target by 168.9% in the 4th quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 355 shares of the retailer's stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 223 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.73% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 2,053 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.19, for a total transaction of $240,591.07. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 12,143 shares in the company, valued at $1,423,038.17. This trade represents a 14.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.16% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Target Stock Performance

NYSE TGT opened at $121.47 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 0.94. Target Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $83.44 and a fifty-two week high of $133.10. The stock's fifty day moving average is $121.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $108.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $55.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.08 and a beta of 1.01.

Target (NYSE:TGT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 3rd. The retailer reported $2.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.16 by $0.28. Target had a net margin of 3.54% and a return on equity of 22.25%. The firm had revenue of $30.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $30.52 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.41 earnings per share. Target's quarterly revenue was down 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. Target has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.300- EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.500 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Target Corporation will post 8.02 earnings per share for the current year.

Target Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.14 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 13th. This represents a $4.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.8%. Target's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 56.09%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

TGT has been the subject of several research reports. Guggenheim boosted their price target on Target from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Target from $125.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Target from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Target in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $132.00 target price on shares of Target in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Target presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $118.71.

Trending Headlines about Target

Here are the key news stories impacting Target this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target on Target to $140 from $135 and kept an Overweight rating, citing an improved setup for the shares. Wells Fargo, Barclays Lift Target (TGT) Price Targets Following Improved Setup
• Positive Sentiment: Truist Financial lifted its price target to $123 from $121 and maintained a Hold rating, signaling modest upside from current levels. Target price target raised by Truist Financial Corporation
• Positive Sentiment: Target saw unusually heavy call option buying, suggesting traders are positioning for a potential move higher ahead of earnings. Target Sees Unusually High Options Volume
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts expect Target to report earnings growth next week, but one report noted the company may not have the ideal setup for an earnings beat. Target (TGT) Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Target is set to release quarterly earnings on Wednesday, keeping the stock in focus as investors look for guidance on sales trends and margins. Target (TGT) to Release Quarterly Earnings on Wednesday
• Negative Sentiment: Bank of America reiterated its Underperform rating and warned that Target faces a tougher sales environment in Q2 as tax refund benefits fade, even though it lifted its Q1 EPS estimate. Target faces tougher sales backdrop after tax refund boost fades

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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