Target (NYSE:TGT) Trading Up 0% – Still a Buy?

Shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) rose 0% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $137.09 and last traded at $136.43. Approximately 743,514 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 84% from the average daily volume of 4,545,235 shares. The stock had previously closed at $136.39.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Target from $180.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. TD Cowen cut their target price on Target from $165.00 to $145.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $195.00 price target on shares of Target in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Melius Research assumed coverage on Target in a research report on Monday, September 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $180.00 price objective for the company. Finally, HSBC lowered shares of Target from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $138.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have issued a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Target presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $160.57.

Target Stock Performance

The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $140.01 and its 200 day moving average price is $146.06. 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 company has a market cap of $62.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.37, a P/E/G ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.17.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Target

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in TGT. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its position in Target by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 28,025 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,368,000 after purchasing an additional 490 shares in the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its stake in Target by 8.6% during the third quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 119,458 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,619,000 after buying an additional 9,510 shares during the period. Prana Capital Management LP increased its position in shares of Target by 47.5% in the third quarter. Prana Capital Management LP now owns 217,081 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $33,834,000 after acquiring an additional 69,885 shares in the last quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Target in the 3rd quarter valued at $967,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Target by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 9,414,025 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,461,456,000 after acquiring an additional 130,691 shares in the last quarter. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.