By Dean Seal

Target is scheduled to report fiscal fourth-quarter earnings before the market opens Tuesday. Here is what you need to know:

PROFIT: The retailer is expected to post a profit of $1.04 billion for the quarter that ended in early February, according to the consensus estimate of 25 analysts polled by FactSet. That's down from $1.38 billion in the same quarter a year earlier.

EARNINGS: Per-share, earnings are targeted at $2.26, according to the projections of 31 analysts surveyed by FactSet.

SALES: Revenue is expected to fall to $30.78 billion from $31.92 billion in the year-earlier quarter, according to 29 analysts polled by FactSet.

The stock fell 8.6% during the quarter and was recently changing hands at $125.

WHAT TO WATCH

--Target has said holiday sales from November and December were up 2.8% on higher traffic, with gains seen in discretionary sales, though more promotions and discounts likely ate into the earnings flow, Truist analysts said in a January research note.

--The retailer is expected to give cautious guidance for fiscal 2025 in light of concerns around a February slowdown, tariffs, competing online marketplaces, immigration policies and potential backlash from diversity practices, Roth analyst Bill Kirk said in a research note over the weekend.

--Target shares have been volatile after the company's recent quarterly reports, Oppenheimer analysts said in a research note last month. Shares have had double-digit percentage moves on four of the past five reports, they said, adding that they would take advantage of any volatility when the fourth-quarter report drops.

Write to Dean Seal at dean.seal@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 03, 2025 11:51 ET (16:51 GMT)

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