Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) Shares Sold by Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC

Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC lessened its holdings in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 46.0% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 79,360 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 67,635 shares during the period. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC’s holdings in Target were worth $10,728,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. acquired a new position in Target during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Target in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. MCF Advisors LLC raised its stake in Target by 175.3% in the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 256 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Target by 110.7% during the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 257 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC grew its stake in Target by 47.5% during the 4th quarter. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC now owns 264 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

Target Price Performance

Shares of NYSE TGT opened at $96.71 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $44.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.28. Target Co. has a 52 week low of $87.35 and a 52 week high of $167.40. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $105.58 and a 200-day simple moving average of $127.93. 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 (NYSE:TGT) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 4th. The retailer reported $2.41 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.17. The business 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, equities analysts predict that Target Co. will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 issued a $1.12 dividend. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.63%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 14th. Target’s payout ratio is currently 50.56%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on TGT. Baird R W cut Target from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 7th. DA Davidson reduced their price target on shares of Target from $153.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Telsey Advisory Group dropped their price objective on shares of Target from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Mizuho started coverage on shares of Target in a report on Friday, April 11th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $92.00 target price for the company. Finally, Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Target from $160.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twenty-three have given a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Target has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $132.37.

About Target

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.