1248 Management LLC Makes New $478,000 Investment in The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• 1248 Management LLC has acquired a stake in The Kroger Co. by purchasing 7,066 shares valued at approximately $478,000 in the first quarter.
• Analyst ratings for Kroger reflect a mixed sentiment, with a consensus average rating of "Hold" and target prices ranging from $70.58 to $82.00.
• The Kroger Co. declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share, increasing from the previous $0.32, which represents a 2.1% dividend yield.

1248 Management LLC bought a new stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 7,066 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $478,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in KR. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in Kroger by 27.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,733 shares of the company's stock valued at $962,000 after buying an additional 3,373 shares in the last quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $49,000. AXA S.A. increased its holdings in Kroger by 16.9% during the 4th quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 348,416 shares of the company's stock worth $21,306,000 after purchasing an additional 50,300 shares in the last quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Kroger by 31.8% during the 4th quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 7,464 shares of the company's stock worth $456,000 after purchasing an additional 1,799 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its holdings in Kroger by 10.1% during the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 933,949 shares of the company's stock worth $57,111,000 after purchasing an additional 85,956 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Clyde R. Moore sold 26,814 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.50, for a total value of $1,890,387.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 99,143 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,989,581.50. This represents a 21.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Yael Cosset sold 71,224 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.49, for a total value of $5,234,251.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 139,124 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,224,222.76. The trade was a 33.86% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 198,948 shares of company stock valued at $14,422,926 in the last quarter. 0.44% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE KR traded down $0.10 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $67.74. The company's stock had a trading volume of 5,575,044 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,407,211. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $50.69 and a 12-month high of $74.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $70.67 and a 200-day moving average price of $68.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $44.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.46, a PEG ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 0.59.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, June 20th. The company reported $1.49 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.04. Kroger had a return on equity of 34.71% and a net margin of 1.89%.The business had revenue of $45.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.35 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.43 earnings per share. Kroger's revenue for the quarter was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.600-4.800 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 1st. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th were paid a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 15th. This is a positive change from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Kroger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 38.15%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on the company. Barclays assumed coverage on Kroger in a report on Monday, July 21st. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $75.00 price objective for the company. Melius raised Kroger from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $70.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. Roth Capital boosted their price objective on Kroger from $58.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 20th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $83.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $75.00 price objective (down from $82.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, August 20th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $70.58.

Kroger Company Profile

The Kroger Co operates as a food and drug retailer in the United States. The company operates combination food and drug stores, multi-department stores, marketplace stores, and price impact warehouses. Its combination food and drug stores offer natural food and organic sections, pharmacies, general merchandise, pet centers, fresh seafood, and organic produce; and multi-department stores provide apparel, home fashion and furnishings, outdoor living, electronics, automotive products, and toys.