Capital International Inc. CA Buys 11,048 Shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

Capital International Inc. CA increased its position in shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 22.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 60,729 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 11,048 shares during the quarter. Capital International Inc. CA’s holdings in Target were worth $10,762,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ables Iannone Moore & Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Target during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. bought a new position in Target in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Target in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Target during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Godsey & Gibb Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Target by 148.6% during the first quarter. Godsey & Gibb Inc. now owns 174 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

Target Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE TGT traded up $2.71 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $149.00. 2,339,099 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,850,261. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $147.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $154.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.19. Target Co. has a 52 week low of $102.93 and a 52 week high of $181.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.86.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last announced its 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). Target had a net margin of 3.87% and a return on equity of 31.91%. The business had revenue of $24.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.52 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.05 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Target Co. will post 9.31 EPS for the current year.

Target Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 21st will be issued a dividend of $1.12 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 21st. This is a boost from Target’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.10. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.01%. Target’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 50.28%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on TGT. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $195.00 target price on shares of Target in a research note on Wednesday, May 22nd. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Target from $190.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 23rd. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on Target from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on shares of Target from $209.00 to $190.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 23rd. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Target from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $176.57.

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.