Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) Given Average Rating of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts assign Target a consensus "Hold" rating from 34 firms (3 sell / 20 hold / 11 buy) with an average 1‑year target of about $116.45.
• Target beat quarterly EPS estimates ($2.44 vs. $2.16) while revenue of $30.45B slightly missed expectations; management guided Q1 ~ $1.30 EPS and FY 2026 EPS of $7.50–$8.50, versus analysts' consensus of ~8.69 for the year.
• New CEO actions — price cuts on ~3,000 items and a planned ~$2 billion investment in 2026 to drive a turnaround — have prompted mixed market reaction (some price‑target raises like DA Davidson's $140 but continued execution risk and concerns about past short‑lived sales boosts).

Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the thirty-four ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twenty have given a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $116.4483.

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on TGT shares. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on shares of Target from $102.00 to $119.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. KeyCorp restated a "sector weight" rating on shares of Target in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Target in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $115.00 target price on shares of Target in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on shares of Target from $100.00 to $92.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 20th.

Target Price Performance

Shares of TGT stock opened at $117.35 on Friday. Target has a 12 month low of $83.44 and a 12 month high of $126.00. The company has a market capitalization of $53.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.43, a P/E/G ratio of 4.95 and a beta of 1.12. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $112.03 and a two-hundred day moving average of $98.98. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89.

Target (NYSE:TGT - Get Free Report) last released 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. 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%.Target's quarterly revenue was down 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $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 analysts expect that Target will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Target Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 13th will be paid a $1.14 dividend. This represents a $4.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 13th. Target's dividend payout ratio is currently 56.09%.

Key Target News

Here are the key news stories impacting Target this week:

• Positive Sentiment: New CEO Michael Fiddelke is cutting prices on roughly 3,000 apparel, home and daily‑essentials items to drive traffic and regain share — a clear, market‑visible action intended to boost comps and curb share loss to discount rivals. Target Accelerates Growth Plan With Price Cuts
• Positive Sentiment: UBS highlights Target’s commitment to a self‑funded turnaround, noting management plans to deploy roughly $2 billion in 2026 to execute price/mix, inventory and marketing initiatives — a capital commitment that suggests management confidence and could reassure investors about execution. UBS: Target investing $2 billion to execute turnaround in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson raised its price target to $140 (maintaining a Buy), which can lift sentiment and provide cover for momentum buying as investors re‑rate the stock on the turnaround thesis. DA Davidson Raises Target (TGT) PT to $140
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage frames the moves as a needed response to lost share versus discount competitors; the narrative supports a plausible recovery but execution risk remains high — context piece on the strategy and competitive positioning. Target's Been Falling Behind Discount Retail Rivals. Its New CEO Wants to Change That.
• Neutral Sentiment: Several market writeups and bullish theses debate valuation (TGT’s P/E and forward estimates) and whether the turnaround will restore prior margins — useful background but outcome‑dependent. Is Target Corporation (TGT) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Reuters and others caution that past price cuts produced only short‑lived sales bumps, raising execution risk that current cuts may not sustainably grow traffic or margin. New Target CEO slashes prices. Previous cuts offered short-lived sales boost.
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing consumer protest over prior DEI decisions remains active in some locales, a reputational/traffic risk that could blunt the effectiveness of promotional moves. Boycott of Target over DEI cuts still active, local organizers say

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Target

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of TGT. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in Target by 101.3% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,080 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $822,000 after acquiring an additional 3,059 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP raised its stake in Target by 39.9% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 38,712 shares of the retailer's stock worth $4,040,000 after acquiring an additional 11,047 shares in the last quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Target by 61.5% during the second quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,047 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $893,000 after acquiring an additional 3,445 shares during the period. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey lifted its holdings in shares of Target by 2.9% during the second quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 69,117 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $6,818,000 after acquiring an additional 1,961 shares during the period. Finally, Impax Asset Management Group plc acquired a new stake in shares of Target in the 2nd quarter valued at $7,033,000. 79.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Target

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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