Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) Holdings Cut by Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. lowered its holdings in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 6.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,783 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 127 shares during the period. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Target were worth $241,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in TGT. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Target in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC increased its stake in shares of Target by 156.5% in the third quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 218 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares during the period. MCF Advisors LLC increased its stake 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 period. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Target by 110.7% in 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 during the period. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Target in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

Target Price Performance

Shares of Target stock opened at $131.34 on Tuesday. 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 market capitalization of $60.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.15. Target Co. has a 1-year low of $120.21 and a 1-year high of $181.86. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $135.22 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $143.78.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 20th. The retailer reported $1.85 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.30 by ($0.45). The firm had revenue of $25.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.87 billion. Target had a return on equity of 31.11% and a net margin of 4.06%. Target’s quarterly revenue was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.10 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Target Co. will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Target Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th will be paid a dividend of $1.12 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.41%. Target’s dividend payout ratio is 47.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on TGT shares. Hsbc Global Res lowered shares of Target from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Target from $129.00 to $134.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on shares of Target from $165.00 to $145.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. HSBC lowered shares of Target from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $138.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Piper Sandler reduced their target price on shares of Target from $156.00 to $130.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have assigned a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $157.70.

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.