The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Sold by Capital Fund Management S.A.

Key Points

• Capital Fund Management S.A. has reduced its stake in The Kroger Co. by 28.3%, selling 49,091 shares and holding 124,240 shares worth approximately $8.41 million.
• The company has increased its quarterly dividend to $0.35 per share, representing a 9.38% increase from the previous dividend of $0.32.
• Analysts have mixed ratings on Kroger's stock, with a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $70.58.

Capital Fund Management S.A. trimmed its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 28.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 124,240 shares of the company's stock after selling 49,091 shares during the quarter. Capital Fund Management S.A.'s holdings in Kroger were worth $8,410,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Kroger by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 12,545 shares of the company's stock valued at $850,000 after purchasing an additional 213 shares during the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co boosted its holdings in Kroger by 3.7% in 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 last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Kroger by 8.8% in the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 307,790 shares of the company's stock valued at $20,834,000 after purchasing an additional 24,849 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in Kroger by 4.0% in the 1st quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 8,967 shares of the company's stock valued at $607,000 after purchasing an additional 348 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Kroger by 67.2% in the 1st quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,336 shares of the company's stock valued at $90,000 after purchasing an additional 537 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Clyde R. Moore sold 3,810 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.61, for a total transaction of $272,834.10. Following the sale, the director directly owned 85,850 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,147,718.50. This represents a 4.25% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Carin L. Fike sold 16,475 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.79, for a total transaction of $1,215,690.25. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 49,360 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,642,274.40. The trade was a 25.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 198,948 shares of company stock worth $14,422,926 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.44% of the company's stock.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of KR opened at $71.5120 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a fifty-two week low of $50.69 and a fifty-two week high of $74.90. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $70.87 and its 200 day moving average price is $68.52. The company has a market cap of $47.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.49, a PEG ratio of 2.29 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 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.04. Kroger had a net margin of 1.89% and a return on equity of 34.71%. The firm had revenue of $45.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.43 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.600-4.800 EPS. 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This is an increase from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. Kroger's payout ratio is currently 38.15%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on KR shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $75.00 target price (down from $82.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday. Melius Research raised shares of Kroger from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Kroger from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Kroger from $57.00 to $67.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $70.58.

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.

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