Symmetry Partners LLC Invests $204,000 in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

Symmetry Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 1,508 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $204,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Target during the third quarter worth about $28,000. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in Target during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Target during the third quarter worth about $36,000. MCF Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Target by 175.3% during the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 256 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raleigh Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Target by 110.7% during the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 257 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

TGT has been the topic of several analyst reports. Daiwa America cut shares of Target from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Target from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. DA Davidson dropped their target price on shares of Target from $153.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Target from $160.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on shares of Target from $160.00 to $120.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have assigned a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $145.87.

Target Price Performance

Shares of Target stock opened at $104.81 on Thursday. Target Co. has a 52-week low of $103.46 and a 52-week high of $181.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a fifty day moving average of $127.31 and a 200-day moving average of $138.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 0.94.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 4th. The retailer reported $2.41 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.24 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $30.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $30.83 billion. Target had a net margin of 4.06% and a return on equity of 31.11%. Equities research analysts expect that Target Co. will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Target Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 14th will be given a dividend of $1.12 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 14th. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.27%. Target’s payout ratio is currently 50.56%.

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.