Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. Purchases 26,071 Shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. raised its holdings in shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 30.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 110,698 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 26,071 shares during the quarter. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P.’s holdings in Target were worth $14,964,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in TGT. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in Target during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC grew its position in shares of Target by 156.5% in the third quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 218 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares in the last quarter. MCF Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Target by 175.3% during the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 256 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the period. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Target by 110.7% during the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 257 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Target in the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. Institutional investors own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

Target Stock Down 2.5 %

TGT opened at $131.29 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $135.24 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $143.98. Target Co. has a 52 week low of $120.21 and a 52 week high of $181.86. The company has a market capitalization of $60.16 billion, a PE ratio of 13.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.15. 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 quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 20th. The retailer reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.30 by ($0.45). The business had revenue of $25.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.87 billion. Target had a net margin of 4.06% and a return on equity of 31.11%. Target’s revenue for the quarter was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.10 EPS. Analysts forecast that Target Co. will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Target Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th will be given a dividend of $1.12 per share. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.41%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 12th. Target’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 47.51%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on TGT. Daiwa America lowered shares of Target from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. StockNews.com raised shares of Target from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Daiwa Capital Markets cut Target from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their target price for the company from $170.00 to $130.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Target from $167.00 to $139.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on Target from $160.00 to $120.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have given a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $157.70.

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.