Target Stock Rallied Back to Its Highs. Is It a Buy Now?

Gian Estrada6 minute read
Reviewed by: David Hanson
Last updated Jul 21, 2026

@xella92 and @gettysignature

Key Takeaways for Target Stock as of July 2026

  • TIKR’s mid case model values Target stock at $183 by January 2031, a 31% total return from the current $140 price, or 6% annualized over 4.5 years.
  • Wall Street’s coverage sits at 10 buys, 2 outperforms, 23 holds and 3 underperforms, with zero sell ratings across the 34 analysts covering the stock.
  • First quarter net sales rose 6.7% to $25.4 billion, with comparable sales up 5.6% on a 4.4% increase in traffic, the clearest evidence yet that the merchandising reset is pulling shoppers back into stores.
  • Target stock now trades just 1% below its recent high, a near full recovery from the 22% drawdown it hit on November 20, 2025.

Target stock’s traffic recovery isn’t fully priced into Wall Street’s targets yet. Compare the comp and traffic trend yourself on TIKR for free →

Target Stock’s Traffic-Driven Comeback Is the Signal Wall Street Missed

Target Corporation posted first quarter net sales of $25.4 billion, up 6.7% year over year, with comparable sales climbing 5.6% on a 4.4% increase in traffic. That traffic figure is the tell. It marks the clearest sign yet that the merchandising overhaul led by new Chief Merchandising Officer Cara Sylvester and new Chief Operating Officer Lisa Roath is pulling shoppers back into stores rather than simply raising what existing shoppers pay. The quarter beat what management had planned for, and it landed just as a multiyear reset touching food, home and beauty assortments was getting underway across more than 2,000 stores.

CEO Michael Fiddelke called out the traffic number directly on the May earnings call. Addressing why the quarter’s strength mattered more than the headline comp figure, he said: “one of the things that’s most encouraging to me is the role traffic plays. To see comp growth driven by traffic means more guests picking Target more often, and that’s an incredibly healthy sign for us right now.” A retailer can grow comps by raising prices or clearing inventory through deep markdowns. Traffic growth means shoppers are choosing Target over other options, a harder trend to fake and a stickier one to lose.

The evidence behind that traffic gain is specific. Target added 3,000 new food items and 1,500 wellness items in the quarter, overhauled its baby assortment with premium and value tiers, and ran four limited-time partnership drops, including Pokemon, that drew lines outside stores. On the back of that strength, management guided full year EPS toward the high end of its $7.50 to $8.50 range. Traffic, not price or promotion, carried the quarter, and that is the specific development repricing Target stock right now.

Traffic-led comp growth is a rarer, higher-quality signal than a promotional beat for Target stock. Pull the full quarterly breakdown on TIKR for free →

Target Stock’s Drawdown Erased as Wall Street Holds a Cautious Line

TGT Stock Drawdowns (TIKR)

Target stock hit a maximum drawdown of 22% on November 20, 2025, during last year’s traffic slump. It now trades just 1% below its recent high, a near full recovery that lines up with the return of traffic-driven comp growth in the first quarter.

The turnaround described above didn’t just show up in the income statement. It closed a gap that had made Target stock one of retail’s more volatile names for the better part of a year.

Street Analysts Target for TGT Stock (TIKR)

Wall Street’s coverage still splits cautiously: 10 buy ratings, 2 outperforms, 23 holds and 3 underperforms across 34 analysts, with no sell ratings on the stock as of July 20, 2026. The mean price target of $133.84 sits below the current price of $140, which puts the sell side behind the stock’s run rather than ahead of it. That gap between where analysts peg fair value and where the stock already trades is the tension the valuation model below has to answer.

TIKR Values Target Stock at $182, Pricing In the Turnaround’s Follow-Through

TIKR’s mid case model values Target stock at $183 by January 2031, implying a 31% total return from the current price of $140, or 6% annualized over 4.5 years.

TGT Stock Valuation Model Results (TIKR)

That return profile reads closer to a steady compounder than a rapid re-rating story, more in line with a stabilizing big box retailer than a growth name still mid-reset. Big swings in either direction would need something beyond the current plan already in motion.

The target is reachable because the traffic-led comp growth in the first quarter is exactly the kind of demand signal that turns a merchandising reset into sustained earnings growth rather than one strong quarter. Guidance already points toward the high end of the $7.50 to $8.50 EPS range, and the model’s path to $183 leans on that traffic trend holding as the food, home and beauty resets continue rolling out through the rest of 2026.

TIKR’s model puts a 31% total return on Target stock through 2031. See the full assumptions behind that number on TIKR for free →

Should You Invest in Target Corporation?

The only way to really know is to look at the numbers yourself. TIKR gives you free access to the same institutional-quality financial data that professional analysts use to answer exactly that question.

Pull up Target Corporation stock and you’ll see years of historical financials, what Wall Street analysts expect for revenue and earnings in the quarters ahead, how valuation multiples have moved over time, and whether price targets are trending up or down.

You can build a free watchlist to track Target Corporation alongside every other stock on your radar. No credit card required. Just the data you need to decide for yourself.

Access Professional Tools to Analyze TGT stock on TIKR for Free →

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Disclaimer:

Please note that the articles on TIKR are not intended to serve as investment or financial advice from TIKR or our content team, nor are they recommendations to buy or sell any stocks. We create our content based on TIKR Terminal’s investment data and analysts’ estimates. Our analysis might not include recent company news or important updates. TIKR has no position in any stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading, and happy investing!

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