Choreo LLC lifted its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 19.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 40,943 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 6,730 shares during the period. Choreo LLC's holdings in Kroger were worth $2,771,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Kroger by 27.3% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,733 shares of the company's stock valued at $962,000 after purchasing an additional 3,373 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter worth approximately $223,000. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in Kroger by 8.3% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 971,022 shares of the company's stock worth $59,378,000 after purchasing an additional 74,781 shares during the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC grew its holdings in Kroger by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 505,905 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,936,000 after buying an additional 7,935 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CoreFirst Bank & Trust bought a new position in Kroger during the 4th quarter worth $69,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Kroger Price Performance
Shares of KR traded down $0.92 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $71.47. The stock had a trading volume of 3,396,261 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,760,720. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.95. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $50.69 and a 12 month high of $74.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.23 billion, a PE ratio of 19.47, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.59. The company's 50-day moving average is $69.31 and its two-hundred day moving average is $67.05.
Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, June 20th. The company reported $1.49 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $45.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.35 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 30.01% and a net margin of 1.76%. The business's revenue for the quarter was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.43 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.
Kroger Increases Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.96%. This is an increase from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. Kroger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.88%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
KR has been the topic of several research reports. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $74.00 price target (up from $66.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group set a $83.00 price target on Kroger and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. Wall Street Zen upgraded Kroger from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $76.00 target price on Kroger and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, June 23rd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $70.16.
Get Our Latest Analysis on KR
Insider Activity at Kroger
In related news, VP Carin L. Fike sold 16,475 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.79, for a total value of $1,215,690.25. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 49,360 shares in the company, valued at $3,642,274.40. This represents a 25.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Mary Ellen Adcock sold 34,250 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.16, for a total value of $2,437,230.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 184,473 shares in the company, valued at $13,127,098.68. The trade was a 15.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. Insiders own 0.44% of the company's stock.
Kroger Company Profile
(
Free Report)
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.
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