Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) Shares Bought by Costello Asset Management INC

Costello Asset Management INC raised its holdings in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 16.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 17,905 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,480 shares during the quarter. Target accounts for approximately 1.9% of Costello Asset Management INC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Costello Asset Management INC’s holdings in Target were worth $2,791,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in TGT. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its holdings in Target by 6.8% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 4,374,851 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $647,652,000 after buying an additional 279,656 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Target by 11.4% during the 2nd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,316,738 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $639,050,000 after acquiring an additional 440,307 shares during the period. Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its stake in shares of Target by 17.5% in the 1st quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 3,153,875 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $558,898,000 after purchasing an additional 470,647 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in Target by 16.2% in the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,114,400 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $461,031,000 after purchasing an additional 435,229 shares during the period. Finally, Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Target by 9.7% in the 2nd quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,094,644 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $458,131,000 after purchasing an additional 272,521 shares during the period. 79.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Target Stock Down 0.7 %

Shares of TGT opened at $149.78 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $152.39 and its 200 day moving average price is $150.84. Target Co. has a 12-month low of $105.23 and a 12-month high of $181.86. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The firm has a market cap of $69.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.24.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last released its quarterly 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 the consensus estimate of $25.19 billion. Target had a net margin of 4.18% and a return on equity of 33.10%. The business’s revenue was up 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.80 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Target Co. will post 9.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Target Dividend Announcement

The company 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 $1.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.99%. Target’s payout ratio is presently 46.28%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on TGT shares. Melius Research assumed coverage on Target in a research report on Monday, September 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $180.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Target from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. Oppenheimer decreased their price objective on shares of Target from $200.00 to $180.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. Daiwa Capital Markets upgraded shares of Target from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $170.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 26th. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their price target on shares of Target from $170.00 to $165.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. One 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 assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $179.47.

Insider Activity at Target

In related news, insider Brian C. Cornell sold 45,000 shares of the firm’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 completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 303,843 shares in the company, valued at $48,210,768.81. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other Target news, insider Brian C. Cornell sold 45,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.67, for a total value of $7,140,150.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 303,843 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $48,210,768.81. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.13, for a total value of $153,130.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 7,276 shares in the company, valued at $1,114,173.88. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 52,348 shares of company stock worth $8,290,995. 0.15% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.