TGT Stock Alert: What to Know as Target Taps Former Walmart Exec

Wajeeh Khan

Tue, May 19, 2026 at 3:29 PM EDT 2 min read

Target (TGT) shares are inching higher on Tuesday as investors react favorably to a major executive shake-up ahead of tomorrow’s highly anticipated Q1 earnings report.

The retail giant has hired veteran Jeff England as its new chief of global supply chain and logistics to resolve its long-standing inventory-related challenges.

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At the time of writing, Target stock is up about 25% versus the start of this year (2026).

What England’s Appointment Means for Target Stock

Bringing in Jeff England, who spent 18 years climbing the ranks at rival Walmart (WMT), is a statement of intent from Target’s new chief executive, Michael Fiddelke.

The retailer is still struggling with an inventory drought, marked by several quarters of weak or declining sales due to empty shelves and out-of-stock merchandise.

England’s appointment is bullish for TGT shares as he brings a proven track record in automation and logistics engineering.

Target could utilize his blueprint to scale its newly opened Houston receive center facility — finally balancing its $6 billion supply chain initiative, lowering costly transportation overhead, and recapturing lost foot traffic.

Why Caution Is Warranted in Playing TGT Shares

Despite the management shake-up, Target shares remain a risky bet ahead of the retailer’s quarterly print.

The company still relies heavily on discretionary goods, which makes it more exposed to the Iran war that may hit consumer sentiment as the year unfolds.

Plus, Target's push to match Walmart and Amazon (AMZN) on same-day fulfillment has cannibalized margins, because its retail stores double as fulfillment centers, overcrowding its logistics network.

And experts believe the recent price cuts on 3,000 items will compress margins even further.

All in all, at about 15x forward earnings, Target’s valuation looks rather steep for a business facing shrinking traffic. On the plus side, however, it pays a healthy dividend yield of 3.62%.

What’s the Consensus Rating on Target?

What’s also worth mentioning is that Wall Street analysts are no longer bullish on TGT stock either.

According to Barchart, the consensus rating on Target Corp sits at “Hold," with the mean price target of about $128 already in line (roughly) with the current price.