MML Investors Services LLC Has $12 Million Stake in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

MML Investors Services LLC increased its position in shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT - Free Report) by 3.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 88,770 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 2,944 shares during the quarter. MML Investors Services LLC's holdings in Target were worth $12,000,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in TGT. Natixis acquired a new stake in shares of Target in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $767,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Target by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 121,964 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $16,487,000 after buying an additional 1,666 shares during the period. Norinchukin Bank The boosted its stake in Target by 11.3% during the 4th quarter. Norinchukin Bank The now owns 21,782 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,944,000 after acquiring an additional 2,214 shares during the last quarter. Ossiam grew its holdings in Target by 234.2% during the fourth quarter. Ossiam now owns 100,996 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $13,653,000 after purchasing an additional 70,774 shares during the period. Finally, BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S bought a new stake in shares of Target in the 4th quarter valued at $6,535,000. 79.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Target Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE TGT traded up $1.40 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $96.71. 5,270,945 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,689,858. The stock has a market capitalization of $44.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $106.25 and its 200-day simple moving average is $128.31. Target Co. has a twelve month low of $87.35 and a twelve month high of $167.40.

Target (NYSE:TGT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 4th. The retailer reported $2.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.24 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $30.92 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $30.83 billion. Target had a net margin of 4.06% and a return on equity of 31.11%. As a group, research analysts predict that Target Co. will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Target Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 14th will be given a dividend of $1.12 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 14th. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.63%. Target's payout ratio is presently 50.56%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have issued reports on TGT. Telsey Advisory Group decreased their target price on Target from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Citigroup lowered their target price on Target from $120.00 to $95.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Piper Sandler cut their price target on shares of Target from $132.00 to $124.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Evercore ISI lowered their price objective on shares of Target from $130.00 to $120.00 and set an "in-line" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Target from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twenty-three have assigned a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $132.37.

About Target

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.