Baker Ellis Asset Management LLC Has $1.24 Million Stake in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

Baker Ellis Asset Management LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 16.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 9,196 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,783 shares during the period. Baker Ellis Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Target were worth $1,243,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Target in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC increased its stake in Target by 156.5% in the 3rd quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 218 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 133 shares during the last quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Target in the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Target in the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Target by 175.3% in the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 256 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares during the period. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $165.00 price objective on shares of Target in a research report on Monday, November 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Target from $167.00 to $139.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of Target from $195.00 to $160.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 21st. StockNews.com raised shares of Target from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets downgraded shares of Target from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $170.00 to $130.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have assigned a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $158.57.

Target Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:TGT opened at $135.74 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $62.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.39, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.25. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $135.37 and a 200 day simple moving average of $145.01. Target Co. has a one year low of $120.21 and a one year high of $181.86.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 20th. The retailer reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.30 by ($0.45). The company had revenue of $25.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.87 billion. Target had a net margin of 4.06% and a return on equity of 31.11%. Target’s revenue for the quarter was up .9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.10 EPS. Research analysts predict that Target Co. will post 8.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Target Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th will be paid a dividend of $1.12 per share. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.30%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 12th. Target’s payout ratio is currently 47.51%.

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.