Target earnings

Target (NYSE: TGT) stock was up 2% in early morning trading after the company delivered a strong earnings report before the bell today (Wednesday).

Target Corp. reported earnings Wednesday morning, with a net earnings per share of $1.04 compared to analysts' expectations of $1.01 per share. Adjusted earnings per share, a measure the company believes is useful in providing period-to-period comparisons of results of its U.S. operations, was $1.11 in the first quarter of 2012, up 11% from $0.99 in 2011.

Same store sales rose 5.3% in the quarter, the highest growth in six years as consumers took advantage of the warm winter in many regions.

"We're very pleased with our first quarter earnings, which benefited from better-than-expected sales," said Gregg Steinhafel, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Target.

But a continued Target stock rally is in jeopardy as 2012 bears a feeble retail outlook and cautious investor sentiment.

"We're in a period where there's little conviction to buy," Richard Cripps, chief investment officer at Stifel Financial, told USAToday. "The road ahead is too uncertain because of European concerns and the presidential election later this year."