Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. Has $14.61 Million Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. has increased its investment in The Kroger Co. by purchasing 6,680 shares, raising its total holdings to 215,765 shares valued at approximately $14.6 million.
• Analysts have generally given Kroger favorable ratings, with around 18 firms rating it as a "buy" or "hold," while the stock has a consensus price target of $70.53.
• Kroger has raised its quarterly dividend from $0.32 to $0.35 per share, indicating a commitment to returning value to shareholders amidst a competitive retail landscape.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. raised its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 3.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 215,765 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 6,680 shares during the quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.'s holdings in Kroger were worth $14,605,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Accent Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Transce3nd LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Garde Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the first quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its stake in shares of Kroger by 46.7% in the first quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 550 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the period. Finally, GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Kroger

In related news, VP Carin L. Fike sold 16,475 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.79, for a total value of $1,215,690.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 49,360 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,642,274.40. This trade represents a 25.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Mary Ellen Adcock sold 34,250 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.16, for a total transaction of $2,437,230.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 184,473 shares of the company's stock, valued at $13,127,098.68. This represents a 15.66% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 198,948 shares of company stock worth $14,422,926. 0.44% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Kroger Price Performance

NYSE:KR traded down $1.9870 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $69.4330. 6,981,074 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,605,369. The company has a market capitalization of $45.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 0.59. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $50.69 and a 12 month high of $74.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $70.95 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $68.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, June 20th. The company reported $1.49 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $45.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $45.35 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 1.89% and a return on equity of 34.71%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.43 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.600-4.800 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. This is a positive change from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. Kroger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.15%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $75.00 price objective (down previously from $82.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group set a $83.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. Melius Research upgraded shares of Kroger from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Melius upgraded shares of Kroger from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $70.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Finally, Roth Capital raised their price objective on shares of Kroger from $58.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price 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.