Fiduciary Family Office LLC Buys Shares of 35,052 The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

Key Points

• Fiduciary Family Office LLC invested approximately $2.37 million in The Kroger Co. by acquiring 35,052 shares, which represents 0.8% of their investment portfolio.
• In recent stock movements, Kroger's quarterly dividend was increased to $0.35 per share, reflecting a yield of 1.9% and a payout ratio of 34.88%.
• Eight institutional investors significantly increased their stakes in Kroger, with notable acquisitions from Steadfast Capital Management and Junto Capital Management, further indicating strong institutional interest in the company.

Fiduciary Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 35,052 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,373,000. Kroger makes up 0.8% of Fiduciary Family Office LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Accent Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Transce3nd LLC bought a new position in Kroger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Garde Capital Inc. bought a new position in Kroger in the 1st quarter worth approximately $31,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its position in Kroger by 46.7% in the 1st quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 550 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zions Bancorporation National Association UT bought a new position in Kroger in the 1st quarter worth approximately $41,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Carin L. Fike sold 16,475 shares of Kroger 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 transaction, the vice president directly owned 49,360 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,642,274.40. This trade represents a 25.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Clyde R. Moore sold 26,814 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.50, for a total transaction of $1,890,387.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 99,143 shares in the company, valued at $6,989,581.50. This represents a 21.29% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 198,948 shares of company stock valued at $14,422,926 over the last three months. 0.44% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of KR traded up $0.13 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $74.37. 4,195,935 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,201,024. The Kroger Co. has a 52 week low of $50.69 and a 52 week high of $74.90. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $70.06 and its 200-day simple moving average is $68.09. The firm has a market cap of $49.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, June 20th. The company reported $1.49 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $45.12 billion for 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 business's revenue for the quarter was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.43 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current 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. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. This is a positive change from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. Kroger's payout ratio is 34.88%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of Kroger from $57.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, June 23rd. Melius raised shares of Kroger from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $70.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Barclays started coverage on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, July 21st. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $75.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $76.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $70.16.

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.