Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) Shares Bought by Nicholas Company Inc.

Nicholas Company Inc. increased its stake in shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 20.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 55,810 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 9,485 shares during the period. Nicholas Company Inc.’s holdings in Target were worth $7,544,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of Target during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in Target in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Target during the third quarter valued at about $36,000. MCF Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Target by 175.3% during the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 256 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raleigh Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Target by 110.7% during the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 257 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

Target Stock Performance

Shares of TGT stock opened at $104.71 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.70 billion, a PE ratio of 11.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.18. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $129.35 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $139.75. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. Target Co. has a 12 month low of $103.46 and a 12 month high of $181.86.

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

Target Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 14th will be issued a dividend of $1.12 per share. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 14th. Target’s dividend payout ratio is 50.56%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently weighed in on TGT shares. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on Target from $165.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Hsbc Global Res cut shares of Target from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Evercore ISI cut their target price on shares of Target from $135.00 to $130.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. HSBC cut shares of Target from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $138.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Target in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eighteen have given a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $145.87.

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.