Avanza Fonder AB Has $4.11 Million Stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

Avanza Fonder AB trimmed its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 11.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 61,026 shares of the company's stock after selling 7,819 shares during the quarter. Avanza Fonder AB's holdings in Kroger were worth $4,105,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KR. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in Kroger by 27.3% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,733 shares of the company's stock worth $962,000 after purchasing an additional 3,373 shares during the period. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at about $771,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at about $49,000. Apollon Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 5.9% in the fourth quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,347 shares of the company's stock valued at $572,000 after acquiring an additional 518 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 17.4% in the fourth quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 16,221 shares of the company's stock valued at $992,000 after acquiring an additional 2,401 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Evercore ISI upped their price target on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $74.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Guggenheim upped their price target on shares of Kroger from $71.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Kroger from $61.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $73.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Kroger from $65.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, May 19th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Kroger currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $68.06.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Kroger news, EVP Christine S. Wheatley sold 30,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.07, for a total transaction of $2,162,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 97,737 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,043,905.59. This trade represents a 23.49% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Yael Cosset sold 17,685 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.19, for a total transaction of $1,170,570.15. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 139,124 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,208,617.56. The trade was a 11.28% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 160,815 shares of company stock worth $11,101,588. 0.44% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of KR stock traded up $0.46 on Friday, reaching $65.52. The company had a trading volume of 6,507,714 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,787,713. The business's 50-day moving average is $68.87 and its 200 day moving average is $64.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.30 billion, a PE ratio of 17.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.58. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $49.04 and a one year high of $73.63. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74.

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.