ING Groep NV Makes New $5.52 Million Investment in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

ING Groep NV purchased a new position in shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 40,838 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $5,520,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Target in the third quarter valued at about $28,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Target in the third quarter valued at about $36,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Target in the third quarter valued at about $38,000. MCF Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Target by 175.3% in 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% in 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. 79.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Target Stock Down 2.9 %

Shares of NYSE TGT opened at $124.40 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $134.41 and a 200 day simple moving average of $142.67. The firm has a market cap of $57.00 billion, a PE ratio of 13.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 1.15. Target Co. has a 1 year low of $120.21 and a 1 year high of $181.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.25.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 20th. The retailer reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.30 by ($0.45). Target had a net margin of 4.06% and a return on equity of 31.11%. The business had revenue of $25.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.87 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.10 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Target Co. will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Target Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th will be issued a dividend of $1.12 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.60%. Target’s payout ratio is 47.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on TGT shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Target from $167.00 to $139.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. HSBC downgraded shares of Target from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $138.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Target from $137.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Target from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Target from $130.00 to $133.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have issued a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Target currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $157.70.

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.