Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Increases Stock Holdings in Target Corporation $TGT

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) by 2.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 952,942 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 26,890 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned approximately 0.21% of Target worth $85,479,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Target by 14.7% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 51,444,338 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,074,984,000 after acquiring an additional 6,607,982 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Target during the second quarter worth about $578,009,000. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Target by 4.3% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 36,736,101 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,624,016,000 after purchasing an additional 1,529,026 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in shares of Target by 133.9% in the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,223,776 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $219,376,000 after purchasing an additional 1,273,129 shares during the last quarter. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its position in shares of Target by 96.1% in the 2nd quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 2,165,396 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $213,616,000 after purchasing an additional 1,060,885 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

Target News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Target this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $130 and reiterated an “overweight” rating, signaling a sizable upside vs. current levels and offering a strong analyst vote of confidence for the stock. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Target announced it will sell only cereals made without certified synthetic colors by the end of May — a retailer-leading move that supports merchandising authority, ESG positioning, and could strengthen brand perception. PR Newswire
• Positive Sentiment: Target and Roller Rabbit will launch an exclusive spring collection (250+ items) to drive traffic and seasonal sales — a merchandising collaboration that may support comp trends if it resonates with customers. PR Newswire
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target to $115 but kept a “neutral” rating — a modest upward revision that offers some support but stops short of a bullish endorsement. Benzinga TickerReport
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks commentary and multiple analyst pieces flag Target as a “trending” / value candidate ahead of results — useful for investors evaluating relative valuation and estimates but not an immediate catalyst. Zacks
• Negative Sentiment: Bank of America initiated coverage with an “underperform” rating and $103 price target — a fresh analyst downside that adds selling pressure and gives investors a lower-conviction view. Finviz
• Negative Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein cut its price target to $91 and kept an “underperform” stance, representing a material downside and reinforcing a segment of analyst skepticism about near-term performance. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: Reuters reports growing investor agitation and leadership scrutiny tied to merchandising and policy decisions over the past three years — governance concerns can pressure the stock if activists push for changes or if execution missteps persist. Reuters

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on TGT. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price target on shares of Target in a research report on Monday. Guggenheim raised their target price on shares of Target from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $115.00 price target on shares of Target in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on shares of Target from $100.00 to $92.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Target from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $107.24.

Target Stock Performance

NYSE:TGT opened at $113.70 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.27. The firm has a market cap of $51.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 11.68 and a beta of 1.14. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $107.74 and its 200 day moving average price is $97.83. Target Corporation has a 1-year low of $83.44 and a 1-year high of $127.06.

Target Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 11th will be issued a $1.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 11th. This represents a $4.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.0%. Target’s payout ratio is presently 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.