LM Advisors LLC Boosts Stake in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

LM Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 60.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,800 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,800 shares during the quarter. LM Advisors LLC’s holdings in Target were worth $649,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. AssuredPartners Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Target in the 4th quarter valued at about $317,000. NEOS Investment Management LLC raised its position in Target by 30.8% during the fourth quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC now owns 26,410 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,570,000 after purchasing an additional 6,219 shares during the period. Godshalk Welsh Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Target by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Godshalk Welsh Capital Management Inc. now owns 8,280 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,119,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Moment Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Target in the 4th quarter worth approximately $304,000. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd bought a new position in shares of Target during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,889,000. Institutional investors own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

Target Stock Performance

TGT opened at $106.05 on Thursday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $124.09 and its 200-day moving average price is $137.08. The company has a market cap of $48.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.18. Target Co. has a 52-week low of $101.76 and a 52-week high of $181.86. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 4th. The retailer reported $2.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.24 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $30.92 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $30.83 billion. Target had a return on equity of 31.11% and a net margin of 4.06%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Target Co. will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Target Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 14th will be issued a $1.12 dividend. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.22%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 14th. Target’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 50.56%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Gordon Haskett lowered shares of Target from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Target from $150.00 to $135.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. DA Davidson dropped their target price on Target from $153.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Piper Sandler cut their target price on Target from $132.00 to $124.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on Target from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have given a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $145.55.

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.