Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt Increases Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt increased its Kroger stake by 12.9% in the fourth quarter, buying 26,700 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 233,386 shares valued at about $14.6 million.
• Kroger beat earnings expectations in its latest quarterly report, posting EPS of $1.28 versus the $1.20 consensus, though revenue came in slightly below estimates at $34.73 billion.
• The stock is receiving a mixed Wall Street outlook, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $74.73; meanwhile, the company recently paid a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share, implying a 2.2% yield.

Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt grew its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 12.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 233,386 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 26,700 shares during the quarter. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt's holdings in Kroger were worth $14,582,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in KR. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Kroger by 268.1% during the 4th quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new position in Kroger during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Avalon Trust Co bought a new position in Kroger during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Kroger during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of KR stock opened at $62.27 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.42. The company has a market capitalization of $38.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.70, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.42. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $67.66 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $66.65. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $58.60 and a one year high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.10 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.69% and a return on equity of 41.08%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.14 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. Kroger's dividend payout ratio is currently 91.50%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on KR shares. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Kroger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Roth Mkm reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $78.00 price target (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, March 6th. Wolfe Research reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $75.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Barclays reiterated a "positive" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, February 9th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $74.73.

Trending Headlines about Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger launched a limited-time All-American Ice Cream Collection and is giving away 100,000 free pints for the summer solstice, a marketing push that could lift store traffic and highlight the strength of its private-label business. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company also announced a groundbreaking for a new store in Nicholasville, Kentucky, signaling ongoing footprint expansion and investment in growth markets. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s CEO said the “basket has to come down” as the chain plans major price cuts to compete more aggressively with Walmart and Costco. That could help traffic, but it also points to margin pressure if discounts are broad-based. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger is also rolling out digital price tags across nearly all local stores, a technology upgrade that could improve pricing efficiency but has drawn some controversy from shoppers. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also digesting reports that Kroger agreed to a multimillion-dollar federal settlement tied to refrigerant and Clean Air Act issues, including spending about $100 million on refrigerator fixes plus a fine, which could pressure near-term earnings. Article Title

Kroger Company Profile

The Kroger Co NYSE: KR is one of the largest supermarket operators in the United States, offering a wide range of retail grocery and related services. Founded in Cincinnati in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, the company operates a portfolio of supermarket and multi-department store banners and provides customers with fresh foods, packaged groceries, deli and bakery items, meat and seafood, produce, and prepared foods. Kroger's stores commonly include pharmacy services and fuel centers, positioning the company as a broad-based neighborhood retail destination for everyday needs.

In addition to traditional in-store retailing, Kroger manufactures and distributes a variety of private-label brands and operates its own food production and supply-chain facilities.

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