Daymark Wealth Partners LLC Sells 4,830 Shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

Daymark Wealth Partners LLC decreased its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 5.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 87,885 shares of the company's stock after selling 4,830 shares during the quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC's holdings in Kroger were worth $5,949,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of KR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in shares of Kroger by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 6,164,855 shares of the company's stock worth $353,246,000 after acquiring an additional 37,222 shares during the period. Sovereign Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in Kroger in the fourth quarter worth $351,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger during the fourth quarter worth $223,000. Coordinated Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at $282,000. Finally, Burns Matteson Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at $372,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of KR traded down $0.12 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $65.37. 5,096,874 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,767,579. The business has a 50-day moving average of $69.07 and a 200 day moving average of $64.91. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $49.04 and a one year high of $73.63. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.29, a PEG ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.58.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were given a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.96%. Kroger's payout ratio is currently 34.88%.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Brian W. Nichols sold 1,300 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.71, for a total transaction of $86,723.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 12,090 shares in the company, valued at $806,523.90. The trade was a 9.71% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Timothy A. Massa sold 29,554 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.56, for a total transaction of $1,967,114.24. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 103,092 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,861,803.52. This trade represents a 22.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 191,669 shares of company stock valued at $13,155,425 over the last 90 days. 0.44% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently weighed in on KR shares. Melius raised shares of Kroger from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $70.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Kroger from $61.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, March 7th. Roth Capital set a $58.00 target price on Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Kroger from $72.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Melius Research upgraded Kroger from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company 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.