Nisa Investment Advisors LLC Has $18.80 Million Stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 3.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 277,726 shares of the company's stock after selling 9,338 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC's holdings in Kroger were worth $18,799,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Kroger by 1.7% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 12,545 shares of the company's stock valued at $850,000 after acquiring an additional 213 shares during the period. Diversified Trust Co lifted its position in Kroger by 3.7% during the 1st quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 6,429 shares of the company's stock valued at $435,000 after purchasing an additional 229 shares during the period. Sovereign Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at about $351,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $223,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 8.8% during the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 307,790 shares of the company's stock worth $20,834,000 after buying an additional 24,849 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Kroger Stock Down 0.3%

NYSE KR traded down $0.23 on Friday, reaching $70.48. The company had a trading volume of 4,192,063 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,892,258. The company's fifty day moving average is $68.91 and its 200-day moving average is $66.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.95. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $50.69 and a 1-year high of $74.11.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, June 20th. The company reported $1.49 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.04. Kroger had a return on equity of 30.01% and a net margin of 1.76%. The company had revenue of $45.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $45.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.43 earnings per share. Kroger's revenue for the quarter was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. This is a positive change from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. Kroger's payout ratio is presently 34.88%.

Insider Transactions at Kroger

In related news, VP Carin L. Fike sold 16,475 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.79, for a total value of $1,215,690.25. Following the sale, the vice president owned 49,360 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,642,274.40. The trade was a 25.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Yael Cosset sold 71,224 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.49, for a total value of $5,234,251.76. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 139,124 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,224,222.76. This trade represents a 33.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 244,462 shares of company stock worth $17,649,963. 0.44% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on KR shares. Melius raised shares of Kroger from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $70.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $83.00 price target on Kroger and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Kroger from $72.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Melius Research raised Kroger from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Finally, Guggenheim raised their target price on Kroger from $73.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 23rd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $70.00.

Kroger Company 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.