33,250 Shares in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) Acquired by Game Creek Capital LP

Game Creek Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 33,250 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $4,495,000. Target comprises about 1.8% of Game Creek Capital LP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest position.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Nicholas Company Inc. raised its stake in Target by 20.5% during the fourth quarter. Nicholas Company Inc. now owns 55,810 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $7,544,000 after purchasing an additional 9,485 shares during the period. River Road Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Target by 144.9% in the fourth quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC now owns 234,492 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,699,000 after acquiring an additional 138,751 shares in the last quarter. Sierra Summit Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Target by 29.0% in the 4th quarter. Sierra Summit Advisors LLC now owns 14,354 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,940,000 after acquiring an additional 3,231 shares during the period. Mountain Hill Investment Partners Corp. acquired a new position in shares of Target during the 4th quarter valued at $6,459,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB boosted its position in Target by 25.0% during the 4th quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 17,977 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,430,000 after purchasing an additional 3,590 shares during the period. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Target Stock Performance

Target stock opened at $96.39 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $99.88 and a 200 day simple moving average of $123.80. Target Co. has a 12-month low of $87.35 and a 12-month high of $167.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.27.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, March 4th. The retailer reported $2.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.24 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $30.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $30.83 billion. Target had a net margin of 4.06% and a return on equity of 31.11%. On average, research analysts anticipate 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 Sunday, June 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 14th will be issued a dividend of $1.12 per share. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.65%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 14th. Target’s dividend payout ratio is currently 50.56%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

TGT has been the subject of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Target from $140.00 to $105.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Target from $150.00 to $135.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. DA Davidson lowered their price objective on Target from $153.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. StockNews.com lowered Target from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Finally, Cfra Research cut shares of Target from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, April 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twenty-three have issued a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Target presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $131.20.

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.