Target (NYSE:TGT) Downgraded to Hold Rating by StockNews.com

Target (NYSE:TGT - Get Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued on Monday.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the company. HSBC lowered Target from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $138.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. TD Cowen decreased their target price on shares of Target from $165.00 to $145.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on shares of Target from $160.00 to $120.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Daiwa Capital Markets cut shares of Target from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and cut their price target for the stock from $170.00 to $130.00 in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $150.00 price objective on shares of Target in a research note on Friday, January 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eighteen have assigned a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $148.23.

Target Stock Performance

NYSE TGT traded down $0.44 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $116.70. The company had a trading volume of 7,306,075 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,894,583. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $133.23 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $142.09. The stock has a market cap of $53.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.38, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. Target has a fifty-two week low of $112.53 and a fifty-two week high of $181.86.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Target

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of TGT. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Target during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Target during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. bought a new stake in Target in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. MCF Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Target by 175.3% in the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 256 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 163 shares during the period. Finally, Raleigh Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Target by 110.7% during the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 257 shares of the retailer's stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Target Company Profile

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.