Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) Shares Acquired by Polianta Ltd

Polianta Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 39.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 10,300 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,900 shares during the quarter. Target accounts for about 0.7% of Polianta Ltd’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest holding. Polianta Ltd’s holdings in Target were worth $1,392,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its stake in shares of Target by 1.8% during the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 28,025 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,368,000 after purchasing an additional 490 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its holdings in Target by 8.6% during the 3rd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 119,458 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $18,619,000 after purchasing an additional 9,510 shares in the last quarter. Prana Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in Target by 47.5% in the 3rd quarter. Prana Capital Management LP now owns 217,081 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $33,834,000 after buying an additional 69,885 shares in the last quarter. Leibman Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in Target in the 4th quarter valued at about $2,272,000. Finally, Transamerica Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Target in the 3rd quarter valued at about $967,000. 79.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Target Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE TGT opened at $133.62 on Friday. Target Co. has a 52-week low of $120.21 and a 52-week high of $181.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $61.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.17, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $136.13 and its 200 day simple moving average is $145.14.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 20th. The retailer reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.30 by ($0.45). The firm had revenue of $25.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $25.87 billion. Target had a net margin of 4.06% and a return on equity of 31.11%. The firm’s revenue was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.10 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Target Co. will post 8.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Target Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 12th will be issued a $1.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.35%. Target’s dividend payout ratio is currently 47.51%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently commented on TGT. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on shares of Target in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They set a “market perform” rating and a $168.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Target from $180.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $165.00 price target on shares of Target in a report on Monday, November 25th. Daiwa Capital Markets cut Target from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $170.00 to $130.00 in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Target from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have issued a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $158.23.

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.