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GSA Capital Partners LLP Acquires Shares of 9,159 The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

Kroger logo with Retail/Wholesale background

Key Points

  • GSA Capital Partners LLP has acquired a new position in The Kroger Co. worth approximately $620,000, purchasing 9,159 shares in the first quarter of the year.
  • Kroger has recently declared an increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.35 per share, reflecting a 2.0% yield and up from the previous $0.32.
  • JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Kroger's rating to "overweight" and increased their price target from $72.00 to $82.00, while analysts maintain a consensus rating of "Hold".
  • Looking to export and analyze Kroger data? Unlock 5 Weeks of MarketBeat All Access for Just $5. Claim Your Limited-Time Discount.

GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 9,159 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $620,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 14,113,596 shares of the company's stock valued at $863,060,000 after purchasing an additional 120,250 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in shares of Kroger by 13.3% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,829,401 shares of the company's stock worth $478,768,000 after purchasing an additional 916,230 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC lifted its position in shares of Kroger by 39.1% in the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 7,054,824 shares of the company's stock worth $431,402,000 after buying an additional 1,981,259 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its holdings in Kroger by 15.7% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 6,363,964 shares of the company's stock valued at $389,156,000 after purchasing an additional 865,699 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Steadfast Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Kroger during the 4th quarter worth $277,989,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Kroger

In other news, Director Clyde R. Moore sold 26,814 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.50, for a total value of $1,890,387.00. Following the transaction, 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Mary Ellen Adcock sold 34,250 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction on Friday, June 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.16, for a total transaction of $2,437,230.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 184,473 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,127,098.68. This trade represents a 15.66% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 198,948 shares of company stock worth $14,422,926. Company insiders own 0.44% of the company's stock.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE KR traded up $0.06 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $73.79. The stock had a trading volume of 3,031,837 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,079,983. The company has a market cap of $48.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.10, a PEG ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The business's fifty day moving average is $69.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $67.64. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $50.69 and a twelve month high of $74.25.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, June 20th. The company reported $1.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 net margin of 1.89% and a return on equity of 34.71%. The company's revenue was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.43 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be issued a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This is a positive change from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. Kroger's payout ratio is currently 38.15%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on KR shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Kroger from $72.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded Kroger from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of Kroger from $57.00 to $67.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, June 23rd. Morgan Stanley set a $76.00 price target on Kroger and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. Finally, Guggenheim upped their target price on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $70.16.

Get Our Latest Analysis on KR

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.

Further Reading

Institutional Ownership by Quarter for Kroger (NYSE:KR)

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