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SYY vs TGT
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Sysco Corporation (SYY) vs. Target Corporation (TGT) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- SYY trades at $81.33 with a YTD gain of 11.18%, showing resilience in food distribution amid recent earnings beats and volume growth.
- TGT at $113.26 boasts a stronger YTD return of 17.05% but faces sales declines, offset by strategic investments and price cuts.
- Both offer attractive dividends—SYY at 2.66% yield, TGT at 4.03%—with low beta for SYY (0.60) versus higher volatility for TGT (1.11).
- SYY reaffirmed FY26 adjusted EPS at the high end of $4.50–$4.60 after Q2 beats; TGT guides $7.50–$8.50 amid turnaround efforts.
- Analyst targets suggest upside: SYY to $90.80, TGT to $124.72, reflecting relative market positioning.
- Tickeron's AI bots trade both in consumer staples strategies, highlighting sector defensiveness.
Introduction
Sysco Corporation (SYY) and Target Corporation (TGT) represent key players in consumer defensive sectors—foodservice distribution and discount retailing, respectively. This stock comparison evaluates their recent performance, business models, and market dynamics in the current environment of moderating inflation and shifting consumer spending. Traders seeking momentum and income, alongside long-term investors focused on stability and growth catalysts, will find value in understanding their relative strengths, such as dividend yields, earnings trajectories, and sector exposures. With both exhibiting YTD gains amid broader market volatility, this analysis aids in assessing stock comparison opportunities for diversified portfolios.
SYY Overview and Recent Performance
Sysco Corporation (SYY), headquartered in Houston, is the leading North American foodservice distributor, serving restaurants, healthcare facilities, and institutions with products ranging from fresh produce to equipment. In recent market activity, SYY shares have traded around $81, within a 52-week range of $67–$92, reflecting a YTD return of 11.18% and 1-year gain of 17%. Q2 FY26 results showed sales up 3% to $20.8 billion, adjusted EPS of $0.99 beating estimates, and positive U.S. local case volume growth of 1.2%—the third straight quarter of improvement. The company raised FY26 adjusted EPS outlook to the high end of $4.50–$4.60, driven by volume gains and AI initiatives, despite a recent CFO transition. Gross margins expanded to 18.3%, bolstering sentiment amid steady demand for essentials. Low beta (0.60) underscores its defensive positioning.
TGT Overview and Recent Performance
Target Corporation (TGT), based in Minneapolis, operates as a general merchandise retailer offering apparel, groceries, electronics, and household items through stores and digital channels. Shares recently closed near $113, in a 52-week range of $83–$126, with a robust YTD return of 17% and 1-year advance of 14%. Q4 FY25 sales dipped 1.5% to $30.5 billion, with comparable sales down 2.5%, and adjusted EPS at $2.44 amid consumer pressures. However, full-year revenue held at $105 billion, and FY26 guidance projects 2% sales growth and adjusted EPS of $7.50–$8.50, fueled by $2 billion in store/tech investments, price cuts on 3,000 items, and merchandising resets. Early February sales momentum and traffic gains have improved sentiment, though higher beta (1.11) signals greater sensitivity to retail cycles.
Trending AI Robots
Tickeron’s Trending AI Robots page showcases the top performers from its library of over 350 AI trading bots, which collectively trade thousands of tickers across diverse strategies like swing trading, trend following, and hedging. Only bots demonstrating superior adaptation to current market conditions—such as volatility in consumer sectors—earn a spot in this curated section. Featured bots display impressive stats, including annualized returns up to +188%, win rates from 55% to 89%, profit factors reaching 6.11, and profit-to-drawdown ratios as high as 22.54. Notably, one bot (ID 5313) targets consumer staples including SYY, TGT, CL, and others, with varying timeframes from minutes to days. These tools cater to different risk profiles and market phases. Explore Trending AI Robots to identify bots aligning with your trading style.
Head-to-Head Comparison
SYY’s B2B food distribution model emphasizes recession-resistant volumes, contrasting TGT’s consumer-facing retail exposed to discretionary spending. Growth drivers differ: SYY benefits from steady case growth and margin expansion (18.3%), while TGT pursues digital/store remodels and essentials focus amid sales softness. Recent momentum favors TGT’s higher YTD gains, but SYY offers superior stability (lower beta, reaffirmed guidance). Risk factors include input costs for SYY and traffic/competition for TGT. Both in consumer defensive spaces, SYY edges on P/E (22x vs. 14x) but trades at a discount to peers; sentiment tilts toward SYY’s earnings consistency versus TGT’s turnaround trade-offs.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors SYY over TGT, based on trend consistency from recent earnings beats, positive volume catalysts, lower volatility, and defensive positioning in foodservice. While TGT shows stronger YTD momentum and higher analyst targets, SYY’s reaffirmed high-end guidance and staples bot inclusion suggest a higher probability of stable outperformance in uncertain conditions.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer. Disclaimers and Limitations
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is SYY is a Hold and TGT is a Hold.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
SYY’s FA Score shows that 1 FA rating(s) are green whileTGT’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s).
- SYY’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- TGT’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
SYY’s TA Score shows that 5 TA indicator(s) are bullish while TGT’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- SYY’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 5 bearish.
- TGT’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 3 bearish.
Price Growth
SYY (@Food Distributors) experienced а +4.74% price change this week, while TGT (@Discount Stores) price change was +4.88% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Food Distributors industry was -0.06%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +2.02%, and the average quarterly price growth was +1.02%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Discount Stores industry was +2.34%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +2.71%, and the average quarterly price growth was +7.10%.
Reported Earning Dates
SYY is expected to report earnings on Apr 28, 2026.
TGT is expected to report earnings on May 20, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Food Distributors (-0.06% weekly)Food distributors function as intermediaries between food manufacturers and food service operators (such as chefs, restaurants, beverage managers, cafeterias, industrial caterers, hospitals and nursing homes). Food distribution companies buy, store and then supply food items to the food service operators, thereby allowing the latter to have access to a wide range of food items from various manufacturers. Sysco Corporation, US Foods Holding Corp. and Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. are some of the biggest (by market cap) U.S. companies in this segment. Most food service operators buy from local, specialty, and/or broad line food service distributors on a daily or weekly basis. With the rise in e-commerce, consumers are increasingly expecting lower prices, faster service, and higher quality – something that potentially creates the impetus on distribution networks to raise their game.
@Discount Stores (+2.34% weekly)Companies in the discount stores industry specialize in offering substantial discounts on a vast array of retail products. Some companies in this industry also operate general merchandise warehouse clubs. Products sold at discount stores are typically similar to those of any department store, but the pricing of the goods is generally much lower (and hence the name “discount”). Think Dollar General Corporation, Dollar Tree, Inc. and Five Below, Inc. Many discount stores target low-income households and/or price-sensitive consumers as their potential market. Discount stores’ profitability could hinge on factors like competitive pricing, sufficient locations, healthy revenue per square foot, and effective advertisement. These store operators could have an edge over other retailers during financial crises or recessions, when many consumers could be looking for less expensive alternatives.
| SYY | TGT | SYY / TGT | |
| Capitalization | 36.5B | 57.9B | 63% |
| EBITDA | 4.1B | 8.35B | 49% |
| Gain YTD | 5.051 | 32.113 | 16% |
| P/E Ratio | 20.56 | 15.72 | 131% |
| Revenue | 82.6B | 105B | 79% |
| Total Cash | 169M | 5.49B | 3% |
| Total Debt | 15B | 20.3B | 74% |
SYY | TGT | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 24 | 23 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 50 Fair valued | 67 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 76 | 100 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 14 | 38 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 60 | 12 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 50 | 24 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 65 | 23 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
SYY's Valuation (50) in the Food Distributors industry is in the same range as TGT (67) in the Specialty Stores industry. This means that SYY’s stock grew similarly to TGT’s over the last 12 months.
SYY's Profit vs Risk Rating (76) in the Food Distributors industry is in the same range as TGT (100) in the Specialty Stores industry. This means that SYY’s stock grew similarly to TGT’s over the last 12 months.
SYY's SMR Rating (14) in the Food Distributors industry is in the same range as TGT (38) in the Specialty Stores industry. This means that SYY’s stock grew similarly to TGT’s over the last 12 months.
TGT's Price Growth Rating (12) in the Specialty Stores industry is somewhat better than the same rating for SYY (60) in the Food Distributors industry. This means that TGT’s stock grew somewhat faster than SYY’s over the last 12 months.
TGT's P/E Growth Rating (24) in the Specialty Stores industry is in the same range as SYY (50) in the Food Distributors industry. This means that TGT’s stock grew similarly to SYY’s over the last 12 months.
| SYY | TGT | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 57% | N/A |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 61% | 3 days ago 57% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 44% | 3 days ago 64% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 45% | 3 days ago 52% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 48% | 3 days ago 67% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 53% | 3 days ago 68% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 5 days ago 49% | 3 days ago 67% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 10 days ago 53% | 7 days ago 64% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 51% | 3 days ago 71% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 65% | 5 days ago 51% |
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| 1 Day | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs / NAME | Price $ | Chg $ | Chg % |
| PPA | 176.59 | 1.85 | +1.06% |
| Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETF | |||
| DECT | 37.84 | 0.33 | +0.88% |
| AllianzIM US Equity Buffer10 Dec ETF | |||
| AMUN | 26.06 | 0.01 | +0.04% |
| abrdn Ultra Short Municipal Inc Act ETF | |||
| DIAX | 14.10 | N/A | N/A |
| Nuveen DOW 30Sm Dynamic Overwrite Fund | |||
| BNDD | 97.32 | -1.00 | -1.02% |
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | |||
SYY and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, SYY has been loosely correlated with USFD. These tickers have moved in lockstep 41% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if SYY jumps, then USFD could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To SYY | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SYY | 100% | +3.00% | ||
| USFD - SYY | 41% Loosely correlated | +4.33% | ||
| PFGC - SYY | 41% Loosely correlated | +5.04% | ||
| UNFI - SYY | 30% Poorly correlated | +4.04% | ||
| ANDE - SYY | 26% Poorly correlated | +1.55% | ||
| CHEF - SYY | 25% Poorly correlated | +4.51% | ||
More | ||||
TGT and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, TGT has been loosely correlated with DLTR. These tickers have moved in lockstep 33% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if TGT jumps, then DLTR could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To TGT | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TGT | 100% | +3.17% | ||
| DLTR - TGT | 33% Loosely correlated | +6.00% | ||
| DG - TGT | 26% Poorly correlated | +2.60% | ||
| PSMT - TGT | 26% Poorly correlated | +3.26% | ||
| COST - TGT | 25% Poorly correlated | +1.28% | ||
| OLLI - TGT | 24% Poorly correlated | +0.30% | ||
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