Target (NYSE:TGT) Hits New 12-Month High – Time to Buy?

Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) shares reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $145.09 and last traded at $145.4270, with a volume of 742820 shares. The stock had previously closed at $140.34.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on TGT shares. Evercore set a $130.00 price objective on shares of Target in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Target in a research note on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Target in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Target from $140.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group boosted their target price on Target from $148.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, seventeen have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $132.15.

Target Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $66.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.30, a PEG ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a quick ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $132.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $122.76.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 20th. The retailer reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.24. The business had revenue of $25.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.66 billion. Target had a net margin of 3.24% and a return on equity of 22.92%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.30 earnings per share. Target has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.500 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Target Corporation will post 8.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Target Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 12th will be issued a $1.16 dividend. This represents a $4.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. This is a positive change from Target’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.14. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 12th. Target’s dividend payout ratio is presently 60.24%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Target

In related news, insider Cara A. Sylvester sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.89, for a total transaction of $1,258,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 45,930 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,782,127.70. This trade represents a 17.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Target

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new position in Target in the second quarter valued at $25,000. Jessup Wealth Management Inc acquired a new position in Target during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd bought a new position in Target in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Target during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, MidFirst Bank bought a new position in shares of Target in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. 79.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.