Equity Investment Corp Purchases 177,298 Shares of Target Corporation $TGT

Equity Investment Corp lifted its position in Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) by 15.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,295,609 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 177,298 shares during the quarter. Target accounts for 2.4% of Equity Investment Corp’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Equity Investment Corp owned about 0.29% of Target worth $116,216,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Target by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 19,421 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,742,000 after acquiring an additional 352 shares in the last quarter. Premier Path Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in Target by 19.2% during the third quarter. Premier Path Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,912 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $261,000 after purchasing an additional 470 shares during the period. Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Target by 32.3% during the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,040 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $183,000 after purchasing an additional 498 shares during the period. Peterson Wealth Services boosted its holdings in Target by 35,359.1% during the third quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 45,033 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,039,000 after purchasing an additional 44,906 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tsfg LLC grew its stake in shares of Target by 48.3% in the 3rd quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 568 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 185 shares during the period. 79.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More Target News

Here are the key news stories impacting Target this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Long-term buy thesis highlighted: Seeking Alpha argues Target is “under pressure, not overvalued,” noting low valuation multiples, a ~4%+ dividend yield and a long dividend-growth streak — factors that can attract income-focused and value investors. Target Is Under Pressure, Not Overvalued
• Positive Sentiment: Sell-side / peer upgrades: Wolfe raised Target to Peer Perform (InsiderMonkey summary), citing improved operational signals and a better risk/reward profile — upgrades can spur buying from funds watching analyst momentum. Target (TGT) Upgraded as Risk-Reward Improves
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional accumulation: Filings show AlphaQuest and other funds adding positions, signaling demand from institutional investors which can support the stock near-term. AlphaQuest LLC Takes Position in Target Corporation $TGT
• Neutral Sentiment: Today’s price outperformance versus a weaker market: coverage noting TGT “rose as market took a dip” suggests part of the move is relative strength rather than new company-specific catalysts. Target (TGT) Rises As Market Takes a Dip: Key Facts
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail interest & earnings-watch: Zacks mentions TGT as a trending ticker and highlights Earnings ESP tools for spotting potential beats — increased searches and expectations can boost volume but aren’t conclusive catalysts. Here is What to Know Beyond Why Target Corporation (TGT) is a Trending Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst price-targets and outlook still constrain upside: Evercore raised its target to $100 but kept an “in-line” rating — that PT implies downside from current levels and could cap enthusiasm among growth/secular investors. Benzinga: Evercore ISI price target note
• Negative Sentiment: Operational challenges and mixed analyst views persist: coverage (Investopedia, MarketBeat summaries) highlights Target’s recent sales softness, grocery/discretionary pressures and a majority of analysts at Hold with an average 12‑month PT below the current price — fundamental risks that could pressure the stock if execution stalls. For the New Walmart and Target CEOs, It’s ‘Continuation’ vs. ‘Reinvention’

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Target from $117.00 to $100.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $108.00 price objective on Target in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Target from $100.00 to $89.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of Target from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Bank of America cut their target price on shares of Target from $93.00 to $80.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $103.21.

Target Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of TGT opened at $111.31 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $100.30 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $96.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $50.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.51, a PEG ratio of 11.23 and a beta of 1.14. Target Corporation has a 52 week low of $83.44 and a 52 week high of $137.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.97.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The retailer reported $1.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.71 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $25.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.44 billion. Target had a return on equity of 22.74% and a net margin of 3.58%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.85 earnings per share. Target has set its FY 2025 guidance at 7.000-8.000 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Target Corporation will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Target Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 11th will be paid a dividend of $1.14 per share. This represents a $4.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 11th. Target’s payout ratio is 55.34%.

Target Company Profile

Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) is a U.S.-based general merchandise retailer headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company operates a network of full-line and small-format stores across the United States alongside a national e-commerce platform and mobile app. Target’s retail assortment spans apparel, home goods, electronics, groceries and household essentials, plus beauty, baby and pet categories. The firm complements national brands with a portfolio of owned and exclusive labels and partnerships that help differentiate its merchandise assortment.

Target traces its roots to the Dayton Company, founded by George Dayton in 1902; the Target discount chain was launched in 1962 and the parent company later adopted the Target Corporation name.