Cwm LLC Acquires 36,864 Shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

Cwm LLC boosted its position in shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 198.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 55,469 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 36,864 shares during the period. Cwm LLC’s holdings in Target were worth $7,900,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rakuten Securities Inc. bought a new stake in Target during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Tower View Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Target by 82.8% during the 3rd quarter. Tower View Wealth Management LLC now owns 234 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Friedenthal Financial purchased a new stake in Target during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $45,000. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Target during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Finally, MV Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Target by 200.8% during the 4th quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. now owns 361 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 241 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

Target Stock Down 0.7 %

NYSE:TGT opened at $167.11 on Tuesday. Target Co. has a twelve month low of $102.93 and a twelve month high of $181.86. The company has a market cap of $77.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.14. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $164.04 and a 200-day simple moving average of $141.86. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 5th. The retailer reported $2.98 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.41 by $0.57. Target had a return on equity of 33.41% and a net margin of 3.85%. The business had revenue of $31.47 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.83 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.89 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Target Co. will post 9.39 EPS for the current year.

Target Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 15th will be issued a $1.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 14th. This represents a $4.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.63%. Target’s payout ratio is currently 49.27%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have issued reports on TGT. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Target from $195.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Target from $125.00 to $157.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, March 1st. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Target from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 6th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Target from $145.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 6th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on shares of Target from $142.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 6th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Target currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $181.85.

Insider Activity at Target

In related news, insider Brian C. Cornell sold 45,000 shares of Target stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $167.52, for a total value of $7,538,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 346,919 shares in the company, valued at $58,115,870.88. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, insider Melissa K. Kremer sold 3,000 shares of Target stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $165.05, for a total value of $495,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 30,527 shares in the company, valued at $5,038,481.35. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Brian C. Cornell sold 45,000 shares of Target stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $167.52, for a total value of $7,538,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 346,919 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $58,115,870.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 52,600 shares of company stock worth $8,819,598 over the last three months. 0.23% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Target Company 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.