Whitaker Myers Wealth Managers LTD. Purchases Shares of 2,207 Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

Whitaker Myers Wealth Managers LTD. purchased a new stake in shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm purchased 2,207 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $298,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Cynosure Group LLC grew its position in Target by 4.3% in the third quarter. Cynosure Group LLC now owns 1,590 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $248,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management grew its position in Target by 1.2% in the third quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management now owns 5,736 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $894,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Hancock Whitney Corp grew its position in Target by 3.3% in the third quarter. Hancock Whitney Corp now owns 2,156 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $336,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont grew its position in Target by 0.4% in the third quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 15,678 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,444,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Eagle Bluffs Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Target by 1.1% in the third quarter. Eagle Bluffs Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,818 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,063,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Bank of America decreased their target price on Target from $195.00 to $160.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Melius Research assumed coverage on Target in a report on Monday, September 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $180.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Target from $167.00 to $139.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Evercore ISI reduced their price target on Target from $165.00 to $130.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their price target on Target from $165.00 to $145.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have issued a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $158.23.

Target Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:TGT opened at $133.62 on Friday. 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 twelve month low of $120.21 and a twelve month high of $181.86. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $136.13 and its 200-day moving average is $145.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $61.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.17, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.16.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 20th. The retailer reported $1.85 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.30 by ($0.45). Target had a return on equity of 31.11% and a net margin of 4.06%. The firm had revenue of $25.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.87 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.10 earnings per share. Target’s revenue for the quarter was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Target Co. will post 8.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Target Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 12th will be issued a dividend of $1.12 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.35%. Target’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 47.51%.

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.