Dearborn Partners LLC Reduces Stock Holdings in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

Dearborn Partners LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,033 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 195 shares during the period. Dearborn Partners LLC’s holdings in Target were worth $597,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Triad Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Target during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Godsey & Gibb Inc. raised its position in Target by 148.6% during the first quarter. Godsey & Gibb Inc. now owns 174 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Target by 56.1% in the first quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 178 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the period. Retirement Group LLC boosted its position in Target by 85.0% in the 1st quarter. Retirement Group LLC now owns 198 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ables Iannone Moore & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Target during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Target Trading Up 0.1 %

NYSE:TGT traded up $0.14 on Tuesday, hitting $159.04. The stock had a trading volume of 1,086,789 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,039,177. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $146.22 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $154.77. Target Co. has a 1-year low of $102.93 and a 1-year high of $181.86. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The stock has a market cap of $73.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.75, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.19.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 21st. The retailer reported $2.57 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.18 by $0.39. The firm had revenue of $25.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $25.19 billion. Target had a return on equity of 31.91% and a net margin of 3.87%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.80 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Target Co. will post 9.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Target Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 21st will be given a dividend of $1.12 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 21st. This is a boost from Target’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.10. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.82%. Target’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 50.28%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

TGT has been the subject of several analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Target from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. Daiwa Capital Markets raised shares of Target from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $170.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday. Telsey Advisory Group raised their target price on Target from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on Target from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 23rd. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on Target from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, eighteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Target currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $179.18.

Target 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.