Meeder Advisory Services Inc. Decreases Stock Position in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

Meeder Advisory Services Inc. cut its holdings in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 2.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 10,819 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 266 shares during the quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in Target were worth $1,463,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Kathmere Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Target by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 2,541 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $343,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the period. Horrell Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Target by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Horrell Capital Management Inc. now owns 26,657 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,603,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. First PREMIER Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Target by 21.9% during the 4th quarter. First PREMIER Bank now owns 445 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the period. Winch Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Target by 34.5% in the fourth quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 320 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the period. Finally, CENTRAL TRUST Co increased its position in Target by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 18,593 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,513,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

Target Price Performance

NYSE:TGT opened at $105.84 on Thursday. 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 52 week low of $99.98 and a 52 week high of $177.23. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $121.12 and its 200-day moving average price is $135.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.22 billion, a PE ratio of 11.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.18.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 4th. The retailer reported $2.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.17. The firm 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, equities analysts expect that Target Co. will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Target Dividend Announcement

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 $1.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 14th. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.23%. Target’s payout ratio is currently 50.56%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

TGT has been the topic of a number of research reports. KGI Securities set a $132.00 price objective on shares of Target in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Roth Capital set a $122.00 price objective on shares of Target in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Bank of America decreased their target price on Target from $160.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on Target from $165.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Target in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have given a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $142.90.

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.