Criterion Capital Advisors LLC Sells 240 Shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

Criterion Capital Advisors LLC decreased its stake in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 56.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 184 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 240 shares during the period. Criterion Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Target were worth $33,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ables Iannone Moore & Associates Inc. bought a new stake in Target in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Target in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Target in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Target in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Target in the first quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Institutional investors own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

Target Trading Up 0.9 %

NYSE:TGT traded up $1.32 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $148.04. 12,772,526 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,818,235. The company has a fifty day moving average of $152.97 and a 200 day moving average of $153.10. Target Co. has a 12 month low of $102.93 and a 12 month high of $181.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $68.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.63, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.20.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 22nd. The retailer reported $2.03 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.05 by ($0.02). Target had a net margin of 3.87% and a return on equity of 31.91%. The firm had revenue of $24.14 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.52 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.05 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Target Co. will post 9.32 EPS for the current year.

Target Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 21st will be issued a dividend of $1.12 per share. This is a positive change from Target’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.10. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 21st. Target’s dividend payout ratio is currently 49.38%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently issued reports on TGT shares. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Target from $176.00 to $194.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 6th. Gordon Haskett boosted their price objective on shares of Target from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Target from $125.00 to $157.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, March 1st. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on shares of Target in a research note on Monday, June 3rd. They set an “underperform” rating and a $116.00 price objective for the company. Finally, TheStreet raised shares of Target from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a research note on Monday, March 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and nineteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $177.61.

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.