The Gap, Inc. (NYSE:GPS) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of The Gap, Inc. (NYSE:GPS) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the sixteen brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and nine have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $26.51.

A number of research firms have recently commented on GPS. Citigroup upgraded GAP from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the company from $21.00 to $28.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 7th. Morgan Stanley upgraded GAP from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $27.00 to $29.00 in a report on Thursday, July 18th. TD Cowen upgraded GAP from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $28.00 to $30.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 25th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of GAP from $28.00 to $31.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, June 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of GAP from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 4th.

GAP Price Performance

GPS stock opened at $22.65 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $8.50 billion, a PE ratio of 12.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 2.38. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $23.85 and its 200-day moving average price is $22.56. GAP has a one year low of $9.38 and a one year high of $30.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 1.50.

GAP (NYSE:GPS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 30th. The apparel retailer reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.27. GAP had a net margin of 4.52% and a return on equity of 27.57%. The business had revenue of $3.39 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.29 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.01 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that GAP will post 1.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at GAP

In other news, Director Tracy Gardner sold 2,934 shares of GAP stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.48, for a total value of $68,890.32. Following the transaction, the director now owns 51,901 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,218,635.48. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other GAP news, CFO Katrina O’connell sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.01, for a total value of $580,200.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Tracy Gardner sold 2,934 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.48, for a total value of $68,890.32. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 51,901 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,218,635.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 23,132 shares of company stock valued at $654,003. 30.81% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On GAP

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of GPS. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in GAP by 25.8% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,157 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 443 shares during the last quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd grew its holdings in shares of GAP by 37.2% during the first quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd now owns 1,965 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 533 shares during the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in shares of GAP by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 263,675 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $5,513,000 after acquiring an additional 3,109 shares during the period. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S acquired a new stake in GAP during the 4th quarter worth about $73,000. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in GAP by 11.3% during the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 41,265 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $863,000 after acquiring an additional 4,200 shares during the period. 58.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

GAP Company Profile

The Gap, Inc operates as an apparel retail company. The company offers apparel, accessories, and personal care products for men, women, and children under the Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, and Athleta brands. Its products include adult apparel and accessories; and fitness and lifestyle products for use in yoga, training, sports, travel, and everyday activities for women and girls.