Matthew Liegel Sells 926 Shares of Target (NYSE:TGT) Stock

Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) CAO Matthew Liegel sold 926 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $163.51, for a total transaction of $151,410.26. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 12,266 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,005,613.66. This trade represents a 7.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Target Price Performance

TGT opened at $163.20 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $74.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.95, a PEG ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $142.15 and a 200-day moving average price of $128.90. Target Corporation has a twelve month low of $83.44 and a twelve month high of $170.75.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 19th. The retailer reported $4.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.35 by $1.76. The company had revenue of $26.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $26.13 billion. Target had a net margin of 4.08% and a return on equity of 23.23%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.05 earnings per share. Target has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.900-10.900 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Target Corporation will post 8.88 EPS for the current year.

Target Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 12th will be issued a dividend of $1.16 per share. This represents a $4.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 12th. This is a positive change from Target’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.14. Target’s payout ratio is presently 48.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on TGT. TD Cowen lifted their price target on Target from $155.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Robert W. Baird set a $170.00 price objective on Target in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Mizuho set a $150.00 price target on Target in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Target from $161.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Target from $148.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Target currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $159.52.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Target

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in TGT. Kimelman & Baird LLC bought a new position in Target in the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Target during the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Archer Investment Corp purchased a new position in shares of Target during the second quarter worth about $30,000. WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new position in shares of Target during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Finally, Jessup Wealth Management Inc bought a new position in shares of Target in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Target Company Profile

Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) is a U.S.-based general merchandise retailer headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company operates a network of full-line and small-format stores across the United States alongside a national e-commerce platform and mobile app. Target’s retail assortment spans apparel, home goods, electronics, groceries and household essentials, plus beauty, baby and pet categories. The firm complements national brands with a portfolio of owned and exclusive labels and partnerships that help differentiate its merchandise assortment.

Target traces its roots to the Dayton Company, founded by George Dayton in 1902; the Target discount chain was launched in 1962 and the parent company later adopted the Target Corporation name.