Cambridge Financial Group Inc. Takes Position in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

Cambridge Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm acquired 47,151 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $6,374,000. Target accounts for approximately 2.6% of Cambridge Financial Group Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest position.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Nicholas Company Inc. grew its stake in shares of Target by 20.5% in the fourth quarter. Nicholas Company Inc. now owns 55,810 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,544,000 after buying an additional 9,485 shares in the last quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC grew its position in Target by 144.9% in the 4th quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC now owns 234,492 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,699,000 after acquiring an additional 138,751 shares in the last quarter. Mountain Hill Investment Partners Corp. purchased a new stake in Target during the fourth quarter worth about $6,459,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB lifted its position in shares of Target by 25.0% during the fourth quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 17,977 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,430,000 after purchasing an additional 3,590 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northeast Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Target in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,566,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

Target Stock Down 2.7 %

Target stock opened at $103.63 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.99, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $122.96 and a two-hundred day moving average of $136.54. Target Co. has a twelve month low of $101.76 and a twelve month high of $181.86.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 4th. The retailer reported $2.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.24 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $30.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $30.83 billion. Target had a net margin of 4.06% and a return on equity of 31.11%. As a group, research analysts expect that Target Co. will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Target Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.12 per share. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.32%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 14th. Target’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.56%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of Target from $165.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. StockNews.com upgraded Target from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. DA Davidson lowered their target price on Target from $153.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Evercore ISI reduced their price target on Target from $135.00 to $130.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Gordon Haskett downgraded Target from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have issued a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Target currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $143.40.

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.