GAP (NYSE:GAP) Upgraded at Baird R W

Baird R W upgraded shares of GAP (NYSE:GAP) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report released on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

GAP has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of GAP from $23.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, November 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on GAP from $32.00 to $36.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Telsey Advisory Group raised GAP from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $26.00 to $32.00 in a report on Wednesday. Barclays cut GAP from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $24.00 to $19.00 in a report on Friday, August 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded GAP from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the company from $22.00 to $30.00 in a research report on Friday, November 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, GAP presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $28.86.

GAP Stock Performance

GAP stock opened at $28.02 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock has a market cap of $10.42 billion, a PE ratio of 12.51, a P/E/G ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 2.28. GAP has a 12-month low of $16.99 and a 12-month high of $29.29. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $24.53 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $22.60.

GAP (NYSE:GAP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 25th. The company reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $3.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.90 billion. GAP had a net margin of 5.57% and a return on equity of 24.91%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.72 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that GAP will post 2.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

GAP Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 28th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.165 per share. This represents a $0.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 7th. GAP’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.46%.

Insider Transactions at GAP

In other news, insider Julie Gruber sold 62,073 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.00, for a total value of $1,675,971.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 37,395 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,009,665. The trade was a 62.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, major shareholder John J. Fisher sold 250,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.75, for a total value of $6,937,500.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 750,752 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,833,368. This represents a 24.98% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 1,849,044 shares of company stock worth $48,307,065. Corporate insiders own 30.56% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of GAP

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of GAP during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC bought a new stake in GAP in the third quarter valued at $35,000. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new position in shares of GAP during the first quarter valued at about $80,000. Plato Investment Management Ltd bought a new position in shares of GAP during the 1st quarter worth about $121,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of GAP by 177.0% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 7,016 shares of the company’s stock worth $153,000 after purchasing an additional 4,483 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.81% of the company’s stock.

GAP News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting GAP this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are turning more bullish — multiple firms have raised ratings and price targets (including Baird and others), which supports higher analyst-driven demand and price targets for GAP. MarketBeat Analyst Roundup
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo upgraded GAP (reported by American Banking News), adding institutional credibility and likely increasing buy-side interest. Wells Fargo Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Seeking Alpha highlights Gap’s strength from affordable basics (Old Navy/value positioning), a fundamental thesis that supports sustainable sales and margin improvement. Seeking Alpha: Affordable Basics
• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat/other reports note GAP declared a quarterly dividend and that institutional investors have been adding positions — dividends plus institutional buying can support the stock. MarketBeat: Dividend & Institutional Activity
• Positive Sentiment: Media attention/Jim Cramer mention (InsiderMonkey) tied to macro/tariff headlines has put GAP on retail/investor radars, often boosting short-term flows. InsiderMonkey: Cramer Mention
• Neutral Sentiment: Some broader coverage and videos (Yahoo Finance) mention GAP alongside other retail names — useful for sentiment but not a direct catalyst. Yahoo Finance Video
• Neutral Sentiment: Unrelated educational pieces (e.g., Investopedia on the “poverty gap”) and entertainment articles are in the newsfeed but do not affect GAP’s fundamentals. Investopedia: Poverty Gap (Unrelated)
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Director/insider Julie Gruber sold 30,000 shares (~$840k) and has reduced her position meaningfully; sizable insider sales can weigh on sentiment and raise questions for some investors. InsiderTrades: Julie Gruber Sale

About GAP

Gap Inc is a global specialty retailer renowned for its portfolio of apparel and accessories brands, including Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Athleta. The company designs, sources and markets clothing across a broad price range and style spectrum, catering to men, women and children. Its offerings extend from everyday wardrobe essentials such as denim, tees and outerwear to performance and lifestyle pieces, reflecting each brand’s distinct identity and price point.

Founded in San Francisco in 1969 by Donald and Doris Fisher, Gap Inc has grown into one of the world’s largest apparel companies.