Buy Target Stock on the Dip, Analyst Says

Targetstock soared in 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic funneled millions of new customers to its stores and website, yet that rally has stalled as investors look toward an end to the crisis. Yet Guggenheim argues that Target’s advantage is here to stay, and that selloff is a buying opportunity.

Analyst Robert Drbul boosted his rating on Target (ticker: TGT) to Buy from Neutral, and established a $200 price target on Monday. He writes that he has “admired the execution and performance of the company over the past year and have been waiting for a pullback to become more constructive.” With the shares off some 6% last week,despite another upbeat earnings report, that time has come.

Drbul sees three main reasons to be bullish on Target. First, he notes the tremendous growth the company saw last year, when it grew revenue by $15 billion, more than the company had grown over the prior 11 years combined.

“Target proved fulfill-from-store can work, driving share gains and meeting an unprecedented demand led by a rise in digital demand,” he writes, and while he had “stubbornly been skeptical” of the company’s ability to execute as well as major competitors such asWalmart(WMT) andAmazon.com(AMZN), those fears have been laid to rest, leading him to think that these three retailers will keep their pandemic market-share gains.

Second, he also likes the company’s expanding partnerships with key brands, includingLevi Strauss(LEVI), Ulta Beauty (ULTA), andWalt Disney(DIS). He notes that these high-profile agreements with popular consumer brands could be a “tipping point for vendors,” as they drive more and more traffic to Target.

Finally, Drbul is upbeat about the U.S. consumer in 2021: While unemployment remains an issue, government stimulus and greater savings rates should allow for more shopping. “We expect Target to fully participate in the discretionary spending increase in 2021, led by its apparel offering.”

Target stock is up 1.4% to $175 in recent trading. The shares are up 66% in the past 12 months but have fallen 2.2% year to date. Other analysts have also argued that therecent selloff is overdone.