NorthRock Partners LLC Sells 41,477 Shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

NorthRock Partners LLC reduced its stake in shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT - Free Report) by 35.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 76,812 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 41,477 shares during the quarter. Target accounts for approximately 1.0% of NorthRock Partners LLC's holdings, making the stock its 18th biggest position. NorthRock Partners LLC's holdings in Target were worth $11,972,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Target by 56.1% during the first quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 178 shares of the retailer's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management boosted its position in shares of Target by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management now owns 5,736 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $894,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. increased its stake in Target by 0.6% in the first quarter. Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. now owns 10,773 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,909,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares during the period. Beacon Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Target by 20.8% in the second quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 400 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $59,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the period. Finally, Integral Investment Advisors Inc. raised its position in Target by 5.3% in the second quarter. Integral Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 1,382 shares of the retailer's stock worth $203,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. 79.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Target Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of TGT stock traded up $0.58 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $150.57. 1,512,876 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,906,908. The company has a market capitalization of $69.36 billion, a PE ratio of 15.49, a PEG ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.24. Target Co. has a 52 week low of $105.23 and a 52 week high of $181.86. The business has a 50 day moving average of $152.86 and a two-hundred day moving average of $151.11. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95.

Target (NYSE:TGT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 21st. The retailer reported $2.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.18 by $0.39. The business had revenue of $25.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.19 billion. Target had a return on equity of 33.10% and a net margin of 4.18%. Target's revenue for the quarter was up 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.80 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Target Co. will post 9.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Target Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be paid a dividend of $1.12 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.98%. Target's dividend payout ratio is 46.28%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

TGT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Oppenheimer decreased their price target on Target from $200.00 to $180.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Target from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on shares of Target in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They set a "market perform" rating and a $168.00 price target for the company. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Target from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. Finally, Bank of America boosted their target price on Target from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, nineteen have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $179.47.

Insider Transactions at Target

In related news, insider Brian C. Cornell sold 45,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.67, for a total transaction of $7,140,150.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 303,843 shares in the company, valued at approximately $48,210,768.81. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Target news, insider Richard H. Gomez sold 6,348 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, September 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.17, for a total value of $997,715.16. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 123,551 shares in the company, valued at $19,418,510.67. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, 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 completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 303,843 shares in the company, valued at approximately $48,210,768.81. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 52,348 shares of company stock worth $8,290,995 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.15% 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.