Royal Bank Of Canada Boosts Target (NYSE:TGT) Price Target to $178.00

Target (NYSE:TGT) had its target price upped by stock analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada from $166.00 to $178.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “outperform” rating on the retailer’s stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s price target indicates a potential upside of 10.44% from the stock’s previous close.

TGT has been the subject of several other research reports. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Target in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Target from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $161.00 price target on shares of Target in a report on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $140.00 price objective on shares of Target in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their target price on Target from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $151.59.

Target Stock Performance

NYSE TGT opened at $161.17 on Thursday. Target has a 52-week low of $83.44 and a 52-week high of $161.98. The company has a fifty day moving average of $139.71 and a 200-day moving average of $127.38. The company has a market capitalization of $73.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a current ratio of 0.93.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 19th. The retailer reported $4.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.35 by $1.76. The business had revenue of $26.54 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $26.15 billion. Target had a return on equity of 22.92% and a net margin of 3.24%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.05 earnings per share. Target has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.900-10.900 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Target will post 8.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Cara A. Sylvester sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.89, for a total value of $1,258,900.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 45,930 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,782,127.70. This represents a 17.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Target

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Kimelman & Baird LLC bought a new stake in Target during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Target during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Archer Investment Corp bought a new position in shares of Target during the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new position in shares of Target during the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Finally, Jessup Wealth Management Inc purchased a new position in shares of Target during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. 79.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Target

Here are the key news stories impacting Target this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Target reported second-quarter sales of $26.54 billion, up 5.3% year over year and above Wall Street expectations. Comparable sales rose 3.8%, supported by a 3.6% increase in traffic, suggesting the retailer’s pricing, merchandising and turnaround initiatives are attracting more shoppers. Target Corporation Reports Second Quarter Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Profit substantially exceeded expectations, with reported EPS of $4.11 versus a $2.35 consensus estimate; another earnings report cited adjusted EPS of $2.46 versus $2.30 expected. Revenue also topped estimates. The results provide further evidence that Target’s turnaround is gaining traction. Target Earnings Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised fiscal 2026 guidance to $9.90-$10.90 in EPS, well above the reported consensus estimate of $7.72, and projected approximately 5% annual sales growth. The increased outlook is a key catalyst for investor optimism. Target lifts annual forecasts
• Positive Sentiment: Target said traffic from artificial-intelligence platforms is contributing to digital growth, adding a potential new customer-acquisition channel as online sales and category performance improve. Target Touts Jump in Traffic From AI Platforms
• Neutral Sentiment: Target’s $1.16 quarterly dividend, or $4.64 annually, remains attractive to income investors, but the stock’s valuation has expanded after its rally, with a P/E near 21 and the shares close to their 12-month high. Target versus Walmart dividend comparison
• Negative Sentiment: Nearly $1 billion in tariff refunds boosted quarterly profitability, creating a potentially difficult comparison and raising questions about how much of the earnings beat is repeatable. Rising bond yields and weaker guidance from Walmart could also pressure retail-sector sentiment. Five Things to Know Before the Stock Market Opens

Target Company Profile

Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) is a U.S.-based general merchandise retailer headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company operates a network of full-line and small-format stores across the United States alongside a national e-commerce platform and mobile app. Target’s retail assortment spans apparel, home goods, electronics, groceries and household essentials, plus beauty, baby and pet categories. The firm complements national brands with a portfolio of owned and exclusive labels and partnerships that help differentiate its merchandise assortment.

Target traces its roots to the Dayton Company, founded by George Dayton in 1902; the Target discount chain was launched in 1962 and the parent company later adopted the Target Corporation name.