LVW Advisors LLC Sells 2,942 Shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

LVW Advisors LLC trimmed its position in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 43.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,779 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,942 shares during the period. LVW Advisors LLC’s holdings in Target were worth $511,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Target by 8.3% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,484,252 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,530,576,000 after acquiring an additional 2,732,801 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Target by 9,940.6% during the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 2,001,391 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $311,937,000 after buying an additional 1,981,458 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP raised its holdings in Target by 173.2% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 2,369,400 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $369,295,000 after buying an additional 1,502,200 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC grew its holdings in shares of Target by 11.7% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 9,980,381 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,555,542,000 after buying an additional 1,046,044 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Target by 711.2% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 876,531 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $129,762,000 after acquiring an additional 768,479 shares in the last quarter. 79.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Target Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE TGT opened at $133.62 on Tuesday. 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 business has a 50-day moving average of $136.13 and a 200-day moving average of $145.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $61.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.17, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.16. Target Co. has a 12 month low of $120.21 and a 12 month high of $181.86.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 20th. The retailer reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 the consensus estimate of $25.87 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.10 EPS. Target’s quarterly revenue was up .9% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Target Co. will post 8.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Target Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th will be given a dividend of $1.12 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.35%. Target’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 47.51%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

TGT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. TD Cowen cut their price target on Target from $165.00 to $145.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $150.00 price target on shares of Target in a report on Friday. StockNews.com upgraded Target from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Target from $180.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $165.00 price target on shares of Target in a research report on Monday, November 25th. One research 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’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Target presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $158.23.

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.