Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. Sells 89,874 Shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT)

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. trimmed its stake in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT) by 20.2% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 355,217 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 89,874 shares during the quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.’s holdings in Target were worth $55,364,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its stake in Target by 4.3% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 135,908 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $20,121,000 after purchasing an additional 5,548 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Target in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $49,000. Janney Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Target by 16.3% during the 3rd quarter. Janney Capital Management LLC now owns 86,951 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $13,552,000 after acquiring an additional 12,164 shares in the last quarter. Northern Financial Advisors Inc lifted its position in Target by 141.8% during the third quarter. Northern Financial Advisors Inc now owns 7,616 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,187,000 after acquiring an additional 4,466 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Conning Inc. lifted its position in Target by 5.4% during the third quarter. Conning Inc. now owns 247,675 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $38,603,000 after acquiring an additional 12,627 shares during the last quarter. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Target Price Performance

NYSE:TGT opened at $149.99 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. Target Co. has a 52 week low of $105.23 and a 52 week high of $181.86. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $152.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $151.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $69.10 billion, a PE ratio of 15.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.24.

Target (NYSE:TGT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 21st. The retailer reported $2.57 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.18 by $0.39. The business had revenue of $25.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $25.19 billion. Target had a return on equity of 33.10% and a net margin of 4.18%. The business’s revenue was up 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.80 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Target Co. will post 9.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Target Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.12 per share. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 20th. Target’s payout ratio is 46.28%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

TGT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Daiwa America raised Target to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Target from $153.00 to $167.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Target from $147.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $180.00 price objective on shares of Target in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Target from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, nineteen have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $179.47.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Brian C. Cornell sold 45,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.67, for a total value of $7,140,150.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 303,843 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $48,210,768.81. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.13, for a total value of $153,130.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 7,276 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,114,173.88. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Brian C. Cornell sold 45,000 shares of Target stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.67, for a total transaction of $7,140,150.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 303,843 shares in the company, valued at approximately $48,210,768.81. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 52,348 shares of company stock worth $8,290,995 over the last 90 days. 0.15% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.