CX Institutional Has $2.82 Million Position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

CX Institutional lessened its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 12.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 41,599 shares of the company's stock after selling 5,897 shares during the quarter. CX Institutional's holdings in Kroger were worth $2,816,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Sovereign Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth $351,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at about $223,000. Coordinated Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter worth $282,000. Principal Securities Inc. lifted its position in shares of Kroger by 20.9% during the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 7,415 shares of the company's stock worth $453,000 after purchasing an additional 1,280 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mitchell Capital Management Co. acquired a new position in Kroger during the fourth quarter worth approximately $5,870,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Kroger Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of KR traded up $0.48 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $65.54. The stock had a trading volume of 4,122,925 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,778,421. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.58. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $68.89 and a 200-day simple moving average of $64.94. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $49.04 and a 1-year high of $73.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.07.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kroger

In related news, VP Carin L. Fike sold 4,492 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.53, for a total transaction of $298,852.76. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 3,480 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $231,524.40. The trade was a 56.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Yael Cosset sold 17,685 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.19, for a total transaction of $1,170,570.15. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 139,124 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,208,617.56. This trade represents a 11.28% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 160,815 shares of company stock worth $11,101,588 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.44% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Kroger from $72.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley upped their target price 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. Roth Capital set a $58.00 price target on Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. Melius upgraded shares of Kroger from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $70.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $73.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $68.06.

Kroger 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.