Target (NYSE:TGT) Trading 0.3% Higher – Still a Buy?

Shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) were up 0.3% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $132.39 and last traded at $132.38. Approximately 438,331 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 90% from the average daily volume of 4,553,791 shares. The stock had previously closed at $131.92.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on TGT. Daiwa America lowered Target from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Target from $137.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Hsbc Global Res cut shares of Target from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Melius Research initiated coverage on shares of Target in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $180.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their price target on Target from $165.00 to $130.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have given a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $160.57.

Target Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $60.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.04, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.25. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $141.92 and a 200-day simple moving average of $146.41.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Richard H. Gomez sold 6,348 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.17, for a total value of $997,715.16. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 123,551 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,418,510.67. The trade was a 4.89 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.15% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Target

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of TGT. Atomi Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Target by 37.7% in the second quarter. Atomi Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,533 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $375,000 after purchasing an additional 693 shares in the last quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. increased its stake in shares of Target by 26.5% in the 2nd quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 7,140 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,057,000 after acquiring an additional 1,496 shares in the last quarter. Kintegral Advisory LLC lifted its position in shares of Target by 18.4% during the 2nd quarter. Kintegral Advisory LLC now owns 18,536 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,744,000 after acquiring an additional 2,886 shares during the period. Wright Investors Service Inc. boosted its stake in Target by 24.1% during the second quarter. Wright Investors Service Inc. now owns 10,344 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,531,000 after acquiring an additional 2,009 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton grew its holdings in Target by 8.3% in the second quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 2,740 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $399,000 after purchasing an additional 209 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

About Target

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.