Target’s Jaw-Dropping Q3 Numbers

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By Chris Lange Published
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Target’s Jaw-Dropping Q3 Numbers

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Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT | TGT Price Prediction) released its fiscal third-quarter financial results before the markets opened on Wednesday. The big-box retailer said that it had $2.79 in earnings per share (EPS) and $22.6 billion in revenue, blowing past consensus estimates of $1.60 in EPS and $20.93 billion in revenue. The same period of last year reportedly had $1.36 in EPS and $18.66 billion in revenue.

Management noted that the strong results in 2020 reflect the benefits of its multiyear effort to build a durable and flexible model, with a differentiated assortment and a suite of industry-leading fulfillment options.

Total revenue increased 21.3% year over year, reflecting sales growth of 21.3%, combined with an 18.1% increase in other revenue. Operating income was $1.9 billion in the third quarter, up 93.1% from $1.0 billion in the same period last year.

During the quarter, comparable sales grew 20.7% year over year, driven by comparable stores sales growth of 9.9% and digital sales growth of 155%. Comparable traffic grew 4.5%, and average ticket grew 15.6%.

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Another highlight from the report was that same-day services (Order Pick Up, Drive Up and Shipt) grew 217%. And more than 95% of Target’s third-quarter sales were fulfilled by its stores.

On the books, Target cash and cash equivalents totaled $5.996 billion at the end of the quarter, up from $2.577 billion at the end of the previous fiscal year.

The company did not provide any guidance, citing uncertainty surrounding COVID-19. However, consensus estimates are calling for $1.78 in EPS and $25.18 billion in revenue for the fiscal fourth quarter.

Target stock traded up 2.8% early Wednesday at $167.63 a share, in a 52-week range of $90.17 to $167.42. The consensus price target is $166.17.

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Photo of Chris Lange
About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.

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