Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) Position Increased by LRT Capital Management LLC

LRT Capital Management LLC grew its position in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 211.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 7,139 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 4,850 shares during the quarter. LRT Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Target were worth $965,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in TGT. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC purchased a new position in Target during the 4th quarter worth approximately $19,466,000. Investment Management Corp of Ontario boosted its position in shares of Target by 35.2% in the fourth quarter. Investment Management Corp of Ontario now owns 23,110 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,124,000 after buying an additional 6,013 shares during the period. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Target during the fourth quarter valued at $101,789,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. raised its position in Target by 148.2% during the fourth quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 42,093 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,690,000 after buying an additional 25,134 shares during the period. Finally, Junto Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Target during the fourth quarter valued at $49,937,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

Target Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of TGT stock opened at $96.39 on Monday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $99.88 and its two-hundred day moving average is $123.45. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. Target Co. has a 12 month low of $87.35 and a 12 month high of $167.40. The company has a market cap of $43.80 billion, a PE ratio of 10.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.27.

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

Target Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 14th will be given a $1.12 dividend. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.65%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 14th. Target’s dividend payout ratio is currently 50.56%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on TGT shares. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on Target from $165.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Roth Mkm restated a “neutral” rating and set a $122.00 price target (down from $131.00) on shares of Target in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Target from $160.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of Target from $145.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Cfra Research cut shares of Target from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, April 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twenty-three have assigned a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $131.20.

Target Company 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.