Raab & Moskowitz Asset Management LLC Reduces Position in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

Raab & Moskowitz Asset Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 37.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,198 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,302 shares during the period. Raab & Moskowitz Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Target were worth $313,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of TGT. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Target by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 5,339 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $760,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the period. Beacon Financial Advisory LLC grew its stake in shares of Target by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Beacon Financial Advisory LLC now owns 7,059 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,005,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the period. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Target by 18.8% in the 4th quarter. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC now owns 494 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $70,000 after buying an additional 78 shares during the period. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Target by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 1,887 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $209,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. Finally, iA Global Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Target by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 22,760 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,517,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

Target Stock Up 0.2 %

NYSE:TGT traded up $0.30 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $164.74. 2,085,518 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,821,609. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $165.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $143.02. Target Co. has a fifty-two week low of $102.93 and a fifty-two week high of $181.86. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. The company has a market capitalization of $76.06 billion, a PE ratio of 18.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.14.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 5th. The retailer reported $2.98 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.41 by $0.57. Target had a net margin of 3.85% and a return on equity of 33.41%. The firm had revenue of $31.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.83 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.89 EPS. Target’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Target Co. will post 9.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Target Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $1.10 per share. This represents a $4.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.67%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 14th. Target’s payout ratio is currently 49.27%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Melissa K. Kremer sold 3,000 shares of Target stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.05, for a total value of $495,150.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 30,527 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,038,481.35. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, insider Brian C. Cornell sold 45,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $167.52, for a total value of $7,538,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 346,919 shares in the company, valued at $58,115,870.88. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Melissa K. Kremer sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.05, for a total transaction of $495,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 30,527 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,038,481.35. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 52,600 shares of company stock valued at $8,819,598. Insiders own 0.23% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on TGT shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Target from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $149.00 to $206.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 6th. Roth Mkm increased their price objective on shares of Target from $140.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 6th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Target from $142.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 6th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Target from $145.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 6th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $174.00 target price on shares of Target in a report on Tuesday, March 5th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Target presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $181.85.

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.