Proquility Private Wealth Partners LLC Sells 6,784 Shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

Proquility Private Wealth Partners LLC cut its stake in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 75.3% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 2,221 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 6,784 shares during the period. Proquility Private Wealth Partners LLC’s holdings in Target were worth $300,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in TGT. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Target during the third quarter worth $28,000. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC increased its holdings in Target by 156.5% in the third quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 218 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares in the last quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Target during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Target during the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, First Financial Corp IN boosted its stake in Target by 330.8% during the fourth quarter. First Financial Corp IN now owns 280 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

Target Price Performance

TGT stock opened at $137.28 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $135.74 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $145.07. The stock has a market cap of $62.90 billion, a PE ratio of 14.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 1.16. Target Co. has a one year low of $120.21 and a one year high of $181.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.25.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 20th. The retailer reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $25.87 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.10 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up .9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Target Co. will post 8.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Target Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 12th will be given a $1.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.26%. Target’s payout ratio is 47.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on TGT shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Target from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Hsbc Global Res downgraded Target from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded Target from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $184.00 to $108.00 in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Roth Mkm cut their price objective on Target from $157.00 to $131.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, Guggenheim reduced their price target on shares of Target from $180.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have given a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Target has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $158.23.

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.