Target (NYSE:TGT) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at StockNews.com

Target (NYSE:TGT - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued on Monday.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on TGT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Target from $153.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of Target from $147.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Target from $180.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Target from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. Finally, Roth Mkm lifted their price objective on shares of Target from $153.00 to $157.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, nineteen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $179.47.

Target Stock Down 0.6 %

TGT traded down $0.85 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $149.99. 3,279,838 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,918,147. Target has a 1-year low of $105.23 and a 1-year high of $181.86. The stock's 50-day moving average is $152.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $151.11. The stock has a market cap of $69.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.49, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95.

Target (NYSE:TGT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 21st. The retailer reported $2.57 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.18 by $0.39. The company had revenue of $25.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.80 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Target will post 9.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

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 sale, the insider now directly owns 303,843 shares of the company's stock, valued at $48,210,768.81. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, insider Richard H. Gomez sold 6,348 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, September 27th. The stock was 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 of the company's stock, 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 firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.67, for a total value of $7,140,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 303,843 shares of the company's stock, valued at $48,210,768.81. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 52,348 shares of company stock valued at $8,290,995. 0.15% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Target

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Jag Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Target by 1.9% in the third quarter. Jag Capital Management LLC now owns 17,453 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,720,000 after acquiring an additional 329 shares during the period. Chartwell Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Target in the third quarter worth $1,247,000. Proffitt & Goodson Inc. raised its holdings in Target by 2.2% in the third quarter. Proffitt & Goodson Inc. now owns 3,460 shares of the retailer's stock worth $539,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Kennebec Savings Bank bought a new position in Target in the third quarter worth $681,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in Target in the third quarter worth $174,000. Hedge funds and other 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.