The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Decreases Position in Target Corporation $TGT

Key Points

• The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company reduced its Target stake by 4.8% in the second quarter, selling 12,219 shares and retaining 244,590 shares valued at approximately $31.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 79.73% of Target.
• Target reported strong quarterly results, with earnings of $4.11 per share versus the $2.35 consensus estimate and revenue of $26.54 billion, up 5.3% year over year. The company issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $9.90–$10.90.
• Target shares opened at $155.93, near the analyst consensus price target of $159.52. Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with the stock carrying an overall “Hold” rating, while insiders recently sold shares.

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company trimmed its holdings in Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT - Free Report) by 4.8% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 244,590 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 12,219 shares during the quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned about 0.05% of Target worth $31,946,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. E Fund Management Co. Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Target by 4.1% during the 2nd 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 during the last quarter. Wynn Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Target by 0.9% in the 2nd 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. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Target by 16.0% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 580 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $70,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC raised its stake in Target by 3.4% during the 1st quarter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC now owns 2,474 shares of the retailer's stock worth $300,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in Target by 3.4% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,478 shares of the retailer's stock worth $324,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Target Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of Target stock opened at $155.93 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 0.99. The company has a market capitalization of $70.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.19, a PEG ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.99. Target Corporation has a 1 year low of $83.44 and a 1 year high of $170.75. The company's fifty day moving average is $149.66 and its two-hundred day moving average is $133.09.

Target (NYSE:TGT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 19th. The retailer reported $4.11 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.35 by $1.76. Target had a net margin of 4.08% and a return on equity of 23.23%. The business had revenue of $26.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $26.13 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.05 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Target has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.900-10.900 EPS. Analysts forecast that Target Corporation will post 8.85 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Target news, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 926 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.51, for a total transaction of $151,410.26. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 12,266 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,005,613.66. This trade represents a 7.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Melissa K. Kremer sold 15,500 shares of Target stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, the insider owned 56,981 shares in the company, valued at $9,684,490.76. This trade represents a 21.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

TGT has been the subject of several research analyst reports. KeyCorp restated a "sector weight" rating on shares of Target in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Zacks Research cut Target from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Wall Street Zen raised Target from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, September 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a "market perform" rating and issued a $154.00 target price on shares of Target in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, Evercore set a $170.00 price target on Target in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Target has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $159.52.

Target Company Profile

Target Corporation is a general merchandise retailer that operates stores and digital shopping channels across the United States. Its assortment includes apparel and accessories, beauty products, home furnishings and décor, electronics, toys, sporting goods, household essentials, groceries and other everyday merchandise.

Target offers a combination of in-store and digital services, including order pickup, Drive Up and same-day delivery through Shipt. The company also develops and sells a broad portfolio of owned brands, while offering national-brand products and merchandise through a range of seasonal and specialty categories.

The company traces its history to the Dayton Company, founded in Minneapolis in 1902.

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