The Gap, Inc. (NYSE:GAP) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of The Gap, Inc. (NYSE:GAP) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seventeen analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $30.3846.

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on GAP. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of GAP from $23.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of GAP in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Robert W. Baird set a $33.00 price target on shares of GAP and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Guggenheim assumed coverage on GAP in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded GAP from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, December 21st.

GAP Stock Performance

NYSE:GAP opened at $27.66 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.72. The company has a fifty day moving average of $27.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $24.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.29 billion, a PE ratio of 12.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 2.32. GAP has a fifty-two week low of $16.99 and a fifty-two week high of $29.29.

GAP (NYSE:GAP) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 25th. The company reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.04. GAP had a net margin of 5.57% and a return on equity of 24.91%. The company had revenue of $3.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.90 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.72 earnings per share. GAP’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that GAP will post 2.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at GAP

In related news, insider Julie Gruber sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.00, for a total value of $840,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 37,395 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,047,060. This represents a 44.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Elisabeth B. Donohue sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.11, for a total transaction of $81,330.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 1,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,110. The trade was a 75.00% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 1,349,044 shares of company stock valued at $36,857,065. Corporate insiders own 30.56% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On GAP

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. LSV Asset Management raised its position in GAP by 101.0% in the 2nd quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 3,184,477 shares of the company’s stock valued at $69,453,000 after buying an additional 1,600,041 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its position in GAP by 42.7% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 4,407,809 shares of the company’s stock valued at $96,134,000 after purchasing an additional 1,318,322 shares in the last quarter. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY acquired a new stake in GAP in the 4th quarter valued at $20,561,000. Jump Financial LLC boosted its stake in shares of GAP by 2,197.8% during the 3rd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 645,150 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,800,000 after buying an additional 617,073 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in shares of GAP by 13.0% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 3,195,934 shares of the company’s stock worth $81,816,000 after buying an additional 368,191 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.81% of the company’s stock.

About GAP

Gap Inc is a global specialty retailer renowned for its portfolio of apparel and accessories brands, including Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Athleta. The company designs, sources and markets clothing across a broad price range and style spectrum, catering to men, women and children. Its offerings extend from everyday wardrobe essentials such as denim, tees and outerwear to performance and lifestyle pieces, reflecting each brand’s distinct identity and price point.

Founded in San Francisco in 1969 by Donald and Doris Fisher, Gap Inc has grown into one of the world’s largest apparel companies.