ProShare Advisors LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Target Corporation $TGT

Key Points

• ProShare Advisors LLC increased its Target stake by 6.5% in the fourth quarter, adding 109,112 shares and bringing its total holdings to 1,786,192 shares worth about $174.6 million.
• Target reported stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings of $2.44 per share, beating estimates, though revenue of $30.45 billion came in slightly below forecasts and was down 1.5% year over year.
• Target also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.14 per share, payable June 1, implying a 3.7% annualized yield; meanwhile, analysts currently rate the stock a consensus “Hold.”

ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT - Free Report) by 6.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,786,192 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 109,112 shares during the quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.39% of Target worth $174,600,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Auxano Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Target by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Auxano Advisors LLC now owns 3,193 shares of the retailer's stock worth $312,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the period. Ironwood Investment Counsel LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Target in the fourth quarter worth approximately $341,000. Integrated Investment Consultants LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Target in the fourth quarter worth approximately $991,000. Mission Wealth Management LP raised its holdings in shares of Target by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP now owns 6,937 shares of the retailer's stock worth $678,000 after buying an additional 106 shares during the period. Finally, RiverFront Investment Group LLC purchased a new position in Target during the 4th quarter worth $287,000. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Target Trading Up 1.5%

TGT opened at $123.42 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The company has a market capitalization of $56.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.18, a PEG ratio of 3.63 and a beta of 1.01. The stock's fifty day moving average is $122.06 and its two-hundred day moving average is $108.82. Target Corporation has a 52 week low of $83.44 and a 52 week high of $133.10.

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

Target Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 13th will be given a dividend of $1.14 per share. This represents a $4.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 13th. Target's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 56.09%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on TGT. Barclays raised their price objective on Target from $108.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Target from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Guggenheim raised their price objective on Target from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Wolfe Research upgraded Target from an "underperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, KeyCorp restated a "sector weight" rating on shares of Target in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eighteen have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Target presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $119.93.

Insider Transactions at Target

In other Target news, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 2,053 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.19, for a total transaction of $240,591.07. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 12,143 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,423,038.17. This trade represents a 14.46% decrease in their position. 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.

Target 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TGT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.