Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) Stock Holdings Lifted by Johnson Investment Counsel Inc.

Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. lifted its holdings in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 4.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 13,230 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 602 shares during the quarter. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Target were worth $1,788,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Target in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Target in the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. MCF Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Target by 175.3% in the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 256 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Target by 110.7% in the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 257 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Finally, OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Target in the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Target Stock Performance

Shares of TGT opened at $112.88 on Wednesday. Target Co. has a one year low of $111.84 and a one year high of $181.86. The company has a 50-day moving average of $131.18 and a two-hundred day moving average of $140.74. The stock has a market cap of $51.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.97, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.25.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, March 4th. The retailer reported $2.41 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.24 by $0.17. The company 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%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Target Co. will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Target Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 12th were issued a dividend of $1.12 per share. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.97%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 12th. Target’s dividend payout ratio is currently 50.56%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on TGT shares. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $122.00 price objective (down previously from $131.00) on shares of Target in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of Target from $145.00 to $130.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on shares of Target from $165.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Target from $146.00 to $140.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Daiwa America cut shares of Target from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eighteen have issued a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Target presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $145.87.

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.