Westwood Holdings Group Inc. Buys New Shares in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

Westwood Holdings Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 115,595 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $15,626,000.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in Target in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. purchased a new position in shares of Target in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. MCF Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Target by 175.3% in the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 256 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Target by 110.7% in the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 257 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Target by 47.5% in the fourth quarter. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC now owns 264 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Target Trading Down 0.7%

TGT opened at $97.89 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $44.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.38, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.27. 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 Co. has a 52 week low of $87.35 and a 52 week high of $167.40. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $98.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $121.28.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 4th. The retailer reported $2.41 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.24 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $30.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $30.83 billion. Target had a return on equity of 31.11% and a net margin of 4.06%. Analysts forecast that Target Co. will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Target Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 14th will be paid a $1.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 14th. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.58%. Target’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.56%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

TGT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com cut shares of Target from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $122.00 price objective (down from $131.00) on shares of Target in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Gordon Haskett downgraded shares of Target from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Target from $140.00 to $105.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Target from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twenty-three have issued a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $127.29.

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.