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

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

A number of other research analysts have also recently issued reports on TGT. Evercore ISI decreased their target price on Target from $130.00 to $120.00 and set an "in-line" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Target from $150.00 to $135.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on shares of Target from $165.00 to $150.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Target in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price objective on Target from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. 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, Target presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $132.37.

Target Price Performance

Shares of NYSE TGT traded up $3.07 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $95.22. The company had a trading volume of 4,520,795 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,667,574. Target has a one year low of $87.35 and a one year high of $167.40. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $106.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $128.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 0.94. The firm has a market cap of $43.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.09, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.28.

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

Institutional Trading of Target

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Kathmere Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Target by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 2,541 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $343,000 after buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Horrell Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in Target by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Horrell Capital Management Inc. now owns 26,657 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,603,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the period. Fiducient Advisors LLC lifted its position in Target by 4.6% in the fourth quarter. Fiducient Advisors LLC now owns 1,778 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $240,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. First PREMIER Bank boosted its stake in shares of Target by 21.9% during the fourth quarter. First PREMIER Bank now owns 445 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. Finally, Winch Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Target by 34.5% in the fourth quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 320 shares of the retailer's stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. 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.