Target (NYSE:TGT) Stock Price Up 0.8%

Target Co. (NYSE:TGT - Get Free Report)'s share price rose 0.8% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $157.51 and last traded at $157.21. 362,303 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 91% from the average daily volume of 3,995,881 shares. The stock had previously closed at $155.98.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Piper Sandler began coverage on shares of Target in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $156.00 target price on the stock. Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on shares of Target from $200.00 to $180.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of Target from $156.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on Target in a research report on Monday, June 3rd. They set an "underperform" rating and a $116.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $180.00 price objective on shares of Target in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, nineteen have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $179.69.

Target Stock Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average of $148.75 and a two-hundred day moving average of $154.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.27. The company has a market capitalization of $71.49 billion, a PE ratio of 17.42, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.24.

Target (NYSE:TGT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 21st. The retailer reported $2.57 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.18 by $0.39. The firm had revenue of $25.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.19 billion. Target had a net margin of 4.18% and a return on equity of 33.10%. The company's revenue was up 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.80 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Target Co. will post 9.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Target Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be paid a dividend of $1.12 per share. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.89%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 20th. Target's payout ratio is 50.28%.

Insider Transactions at Target

In other Target news, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.13, for a total transaction of $153,130.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 7,276 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,114,173.88. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Target news, insider Brian C. Cornell sold 45,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.67, for a total transaction of $7,140,150.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 303,843 shares in the company, valued at approximately $48,210,768.81. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 1,000 shares of Target stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.13, for a total transaction of $153,130.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 7,276 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,114,173.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.23% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in TGT. Triad Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Target in the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Ables Iannone Moore & Associates Inc. bought a new stake in Target during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Slocum Gordon & Co LLP purchased a new stake in Target during the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new position in Target in the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Hobbs Group Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Target during the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. Institutional investors own 79.73% of the company's stock.

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.