Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC Sells 270 Shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC reduced its stake in shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 17.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,273 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 270 shares during the period. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Target were worth $172,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in Target during the third quarter worth $28,000. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Target in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. MCF Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Target by 175.3% in the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 256 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Target by 110.7% during the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 257 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in Target during the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. 79.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Target Stock Performance

Shares of TGT opened at $95.70 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $119.41 and a 200-day moving average price of $134.85. The company has a market cap of $43.60 billion, a PE ratio of 10.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.28. Target Co. has a 12-month low of $90.62 and a 12-month high of $173.05.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 4th. The retailer reported $2.41 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $30.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $30.83 billion. Target had a net margin of 4.06% and a return on equity of 31.11%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Target Co. will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Target Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.12 per share. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 14th. Target’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 50.56%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on TGT. Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on shares of Target from $130.00 to $120.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Gordon Haskett lowered Target from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on Target from $165.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Guggenheim boosted their price target on shares of Target from $145.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Roth Capital set a $122.00 price target on shares of Target in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have assigned a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $140.24.

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.