Target Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:TGT)

Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Tuesday. Stock traders bought 108,394 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 197% compared to the average daily volume of 36,536 call options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Target from $121.00 to $123.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Target from $125.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. DA Davidson increased their price objective on shares of Target from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Target from $108.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Target in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $118.71.

Key Headlines Impacting Target

Here are the key news stories impacting Target this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target on Target to $140 from $135 and kept an Overweight rating, citing an improved setup for the shares. Wells Fargo, Barclays Lift Target (TGT) Price Targets Following Improved Setup
• Positive Sentiment: Truist Financial lifted its price target to $123 from $121 and maintained a Hold rating, signaling modest upside from current levels. Target price target raised by Truist Financial Corporation
• Positive Sentiment: Target saw unusually heavy call option buying, suggesting traders are positioning for a potential move higher ahead of earnings. Target Sees Unusually High Options Volume
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts expect Target to report earnings growth next week, but one report noted the company may not have the ideal setup for an earnings beat. Target (TGT) Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Target is set to release quarterly earnings on Wednesday, keeping the stock in focus as investors look for guidance on sales trends and margins. Target (TGT) to Release Quarterly Earnings on Wednesday
• Negative Sentiment: Bank of America reiterated its Underperform rating and warned that Target faces a tougher sales environment in Q2 as tax refund benefits fade, even though it lifted its Q1 EPS estimate. Target faces tougher sales backdrop after tax refund boost fades

Target Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of Target stock opened at $121.47 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $55.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.08 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $121.93 and a 200 day simple moving average of $108.26. Target has a 12-month low of $83.44 and a 12-month high of $133.10.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The retailer reported $2.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.16 by $0.28. The business had revenue of $30.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $30.52 billion. Target had a net margin of 3.54% and a return on equity of 22.25%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.41 EPS. Target has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.300- EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.500 EPS. Research analysts expect that Target will post 8.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Target Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 13th will be given a dividend of $1.14 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 13th. This represents a $4.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.8%. Target’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 56.09%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 2,053 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.19, for a total transaction of $240,591.07. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 12,143 shares in the company, valued at $1,423,038.17. This represents a 14.46% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Target

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Target by 16.0% during the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 580 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $70,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC grew its holdings in Target by 3.4% during the 1st quarter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC now owns 2,474 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $300,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Howe & Rusling Inc. grew its holdings in Target by 3.1% during the 1st quarter. Howe & Rusling Inc. now owns 2,951 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $358,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. grew its holdings in Target by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 20,163 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,971,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Valtinson Bruner Financial Planning LLC grew its holdings in Target by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Valtinson Bruner Financial Planning LLC now owns 3,604 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $352,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.73% of the company’s stock.

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.