{"id":37592,"date":"2012-11-15T11:28:00","date_gmt":"2012-11-15T11:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/target-tgt-well-positioned-to-deliver-strong-fourth-quarter-performance\/37592\/"},"modified":"2012-11-15T11:28:00","modified_gmt":"2012-11-15T11:28:00","slug":"target-tgt-well-positioned-to-deliver-strong-fourth-quarter-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/target-tgt-well-positioned-to-deliver-strong-fourth-quarter-performance\/37592\/","title":{"rendered":"Target &#8211; TGT &#8211; Well-positioned to deliver strong fourth quarter performance"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\"><!--\ngoogle_ad_client = \"ca-pub-1408583772585547\";\n\/* SMW - News Links *\/\ngoogle_ad_slot = \"3490797620\";\ngoogle_ad_width = 468;\ngoogle_ad_height = 15;\n\/\/-->\n<\/script><br \/>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\">\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p><strong>Target Corporation (<a href=\"https:\/\/thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock.aspx?stock=TGT\">NYSE: TGT<\/a>)<\/strong> reported third quarter net earnings of $637 million, or $0.96 per share, which includes a 15-cent gain from the pending sale of its credit-card receivables portfolio. Adjusted earnings per share, a measure the company believes is useful in providing period-to-period comparisons of the results of its U.S. operations, were $0.90 in third quarter 2012, up 4.3 percent from $0.86 in 2011. A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP measures is provided in the tables attached to this press release. All earnings per share figures refer to diluted earnings per share.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Adjusted EPS of $0.90 Up 4.3% from Third Quarter 2011;<\/li>\n<li>GAAP EPS of $0.96 Includes 15-cent Gain from Pending Receivables Sale<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re pleased with Target\u2019s third quarter financial performance, which reflects superb execution across each of our business segments,\u201d said Gregg Steinhafel, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Target Corporation. \u201cWe are well-positioned to deliver strong fourth quarter performance by offering compelling merchandise and unbeatable value through initiatives like\u00a0the\u00a0Target\/Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection, 5% REDcard Rewards and our new Holiday Price Match which allow our guests to shop at Target with confidence throughout the holiday season.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Interest Expense and Taxes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Net interest expense for the quarter was $192 million, including $20 million of interest on capitalized leases related to Target\u2019s Canadian market entry. Net interest expense was $200 million in third quarter 2011.<\/p>\n<p>The company\u2019s effective income tax rate was 34.5 percent in third quarter 2012, including the favorable resolution of various income tax matters that benefited third quarter EPS by approximately 4 cents.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Capital Returned to Shareholders<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In third quarter 2012, the company repurchased approximately 1.7 million shares of its common stock at an average price of $62.90, for a total investment of $104 million. The company also paid dividends of $236 million during the quarter.<\/p>\n<p>Year-to-date the company has repurchased approximately 21.8 million shares of its common stock at an average price of $57.53, for a total investment of $1.25 billion, and paid dividends of $635 million.<\/p>\n<p><strong>TGT &#8211; Fiscal 2012 Earnings Guidance<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For fourth quarter 2012, the company expects adjusted EPS of $1.64 to $1.74 and GAAP EPS of $1.45 to $1.55. The 19-cent difference between these ranges reflects the expected EPS impact of expenses related to the company\u2019s Canadian market entry.<\/p>\n<p><strong>About Target \u2013 TGT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (TGT) serves guests at 1,782 stores across the United States and at Target.com. TGT plans to open its first stores in Canada in 2013. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its profit through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $4 million a week.<\/p>\n<div class=\"nr_clear\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"nrelate_popular_2\" class=\"nrelate nrelate_popular nrelate_default nr_1col nr_text\"><\/div>\n<p>\t<!--[if IE 6]>\n\t\t<script type=\"text\/javascript\">jQuery('.nrelate_default').removeClass('nrelate_default');<\/script>\n\t<![endif]--><\/p>\n<p>\t<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\t\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\t\tnRelate.domain = \"www2.thestockmarketwatch.com%2Fstock-market-news\";\n\t\tvar entity_decoded_nr_mp_url = jQuery('<span\/>').html(\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20121118071231\/http:\/\/api.nrelate.com\/mpw_wp\/0.51.2\/?tag=nrelate_popular&domain=www2.thestockmarketwatch.com%2Fstock-market-news&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.thestockmarketwatch.com%2Fstock-market-news%2Ftarget-tgt-well-positioned-to-deliver-strong-fourth-quarter-performance%2F37592&nr_div_number=2&maxageposts=7200&increment=1\").text();\n\t\tnRelate.getNrelatePosts(entity_decoded_nr_mp_url);\n\t\/* ]]&gt; *\/\n\t<\/script>\n\n\n<div class=\"nr_clear\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<!-- AddThis Button BEGIN -->\n\n\n<div class=\"addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style\">\n<a class=\"addthis_button_preferred_1\"><\/a>\n<a class=\"addthis_button_preferred_2\"><\/a>\n<a class=\"addthis_button_preferred_3\"><\/a>\n<a class=\"addthis_button_preferred_4\"><\/a>\n<a class=\"addthis_button_compact\"><\/a>\n<a class=\"addthis_counter addthis_bubble_style\"><\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">var addthis_config = {\"data_track_addressbar\":true};<\/script>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/s7.addthis.com\/js\/250\/addthis_widget.js#pubid=pennystocksfinder\"><\/script>\n<!-- AddThis Button END -->\n\n\n\n\n<p>More Posts by this author<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www2.thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/sina-shares-slump-on-outlook-sina\/37702\">\nSina Shares Slump on Outlook (SINA)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www2.thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/gold-prices-end-marginally-higher-posts-weekly-losses\/37701\">\nGold Prices End Marginally Higher, Posts Weekly Losses<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www2.thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/market-update-after-hours-november-16\/37699\">\nMarket Update After Hours November 16<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www2.thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/stocks-end-higher-6\/37693\">\nStocks End Higher<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www2.thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/gold-prices-edge-higher-silver-prices-fall\/37692\">\nGold Prices Edge Higher; Silver Prices Fall<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www2.thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/stocks-marginally-higher-in-late-trading-8\/37690\">\nStocks Marginally Higher in Late Trading<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www2.thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/stocks-bounce-back-in-mid-day-trading-2\/37688\">\nStocks Bounce Back in Mid-Day Trading<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<hr>\n\n\n\n\n\n<table style=\"border:none;margin:0;\">\n\n\n<tr>\n\n\n<td style=\"padding:5px;vertical-align:top;\" valign=\"top\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20121118071231im_\/http:\/\/www2.thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/userphoto\/5.jpg\" alt=\"edliston\" width=\"125\" height=\"125\" class=\"photo\"><\/td>\n\n\n\n\n<td style=\"padding:5px;vertical-align:top;\" valign=\"top\">\n\n\n<div style=\"font-size:11pt;\"><b>Post Written By: Ed Liston <\/b><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div style=\"font-size:10pt;\">\n\nEd Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications. He is widely quoted in various financial publications on the Internet. When Ed is not writing about stocks, investing in stocks, talking about stocks, or otherwise doing something stock related, he likes to go sailing and fishing in his yacht.\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/td>\n\n<\/tr>\n\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\"><!--\ngoogle_ad_client = \"pub-1408583772585547\";\n\/* 336x280, created 7\/9\/11 *\/\ngoogle_ad_slot = \"3552319058\";\ngoogle_ad_width = 336;\ngoogle_ad_height = 280;\n\/\/-->\n<\/script>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\">\n<\/script>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\n\n<div style=\"margin:5px;margin-bottom:20px;font-size:11pt;\">&laquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/\">Return to Stock Market News<\/a> &laquo; <\/div>\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) reported third quarter net earnings of $637 million, or $0.96 per share, which includes a 15-cent [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50312,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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