Easterly Investment Partners LLC Has $15.94 Million Stock Position in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

Easterly Investment Partners LLC increased its position in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 147.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 117,944 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 70,283 shares during the quarter. Target accounts for 1.3% of Easterly Investment Partners LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Easterly Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in Target were worth $15,944,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of Target during the third quarter valued at about $28,000. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in Target during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. MCF Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Target by 175.3% during the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 256 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. raised 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 worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Target in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 79.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Target Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:TGT opened at $106.05 on Thursday. 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 50-day moving average price of $124.09 and a 200-day moving average price of $137.08. The company has a market cap of $48.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.18. Target Co. has a 12 month low of $101.76 and a 12 month high of $181.86.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 4th. The retailer reported $2.41 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $30.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 year.

Target Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on Target from $165.00 to $150.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. StockNews.com raised shares of Target from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. Roth Mkm reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $122.00 target price (down previously from $131.00) on shares of Target in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Gordon Haskett lowered Target from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Evercore ISI cut their price objective on Target from $135.00 to $130.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have given a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Target currently 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.