Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) Stake Raised by Thompson Investment Management Inc.

Thompson Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT - Free Report) by 16.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 41,203 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 5,915 shares during the quarter. Thompson Investment Management Inc.'s holdings in Target were worth $4,300,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Target during the 4th quarter valued at $757,892,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Target in the 4th quarter valued at about $297,122,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its stake in shares of Target by 61.2% during the fourth quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 3,968,037 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $536,407,000 after acquiring an additional 1,506,275 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC increased its position in shares of Target by 13.6% during the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 11,338,729 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,532,769,000 after acquiring an additional 1,358,348 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Castlekeep Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Target during the fourth quarter worth about $182,882,000. 79.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Target Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE TGT traded up $1.09 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $99.20. 5,315,738 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,110,448. Target Co. has a twelve month low of $87.35 and a twelve month high of $167.40. The firm has a market cap of $45.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.52, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.22. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $95.35 and its 200-day moving average price is $115.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.25.

Target (NYSE:TGT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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). The business had revenue of $24.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.54 billion. Target had a return on equity of 31.11% and a net margin of 4.06%. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.03 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Target Co. will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Target Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 13th will be paid a dividend of $1.12 per share. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.52%. Target's payout ratio is 49.23%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on TGT shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded Target from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Barclays started coverage on Target in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. They set an "equal weight" rating for the company. KGI Securities set a $132.00 price target on shares of Target in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Piper Sandler set a $94.00 price target on shares of Target and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, Roth Capital set a $122.00 price objective on shares of Target in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twenty-five have assigned a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $116.70.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Brian C. Cornell sold 45,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.18, for a total value of $4,328,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 246,453 shares in the company, valued at $23,703,849.54. This trade represents a 15.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.16% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Target Profile

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.