JTC Employer Solutions Trustee Ltd Purchases 389 Shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

JTC Employer Solutions Trustee Ltd boosted its holdings in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 12.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,550 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 389 shares during the quarter. JTC Employer Solutions Trustee Ltd’s holdings in Target were worth $620,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank bought a new position in Target during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $759,810,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Target by 15,009.5% during the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 1,757,088 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $250,244,000 after buying an additional 1,745,459 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Target by 51,357.7% in the 4th quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 1,220,576 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $173,834,000 after buying an additional 1,218,204 shares during the last quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC grew its holdings in shares of Target by 58.0% in the fourth quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 2,683,228 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $382,145,000 after acquiring an additional 984,464 shares during the period. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its position in Target by 9.3% during the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 10,163,864 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,447,538,000 after acquiring an additional 868,274 shares during the last quarter. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Target Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:TGT traded down $0.64 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $144.75. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,633,259 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,915,393. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $152.12 and its 200 day moving average price is $153.41. Target Co. has a 52 week low of $102.93 and a 52 week high of $181.86. The company has a market capitalization of $66.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.27.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 22nd. The retailer reported $2.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.05 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $24.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $24.52 billion. Target had a net margin of 3.87% and a return on equity of 31.91%. The company’s revenue was down 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.05 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Target Co. will post 9.32 EPS for the current year.

Target Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 21st will be given a dividend of $1.12 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 21st. This is an increase from Target’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.10. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.09%. Target’s dividend payout ratio is presently 49.38%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on TGT shares. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of Target in a research report on Monday, June 3rd. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $116.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America boosted their price target on Target from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 6th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $153.00 price objective on shares of Target in a research note on Thursday, May 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Target from $165.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 6th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Target from $191.00 to $185.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and nineteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $177.61.

Target 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.