Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt Sells 152,200 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt significantly reduced its holdings in The Kroger Co. by 92.6%, owning only 12,086 shares after selling 152,200 shares during the second quarter.
• Kroger recently reported quarterly earnings of $1.04 per share, which exceeded analysts' expectations, while also announcing an increased quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share.
• Several research analysts have updated their price targets for Kroger, with the consensus now set at an average price target of $70.58, reflecting a mix of buy and hold ratings.

Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt reduced its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 92.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,086 shares of the company's stock after selling 152,200 shares during the period. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt's holdings in Kroger were worth $867,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Accent Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Garde Capital Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at $31,000. Capital Analysts LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at $36,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 46.7% in the 1st quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 550 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at $38,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Trading Down 0.5%

Kroger stock traded down $0.36 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $65.63. 16,278,217 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,231,363. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.37 billion, a PE ratio of 16.66, a P/E/G ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $70.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $68.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.85. The Kroger Co. has a 52 week low of $54.83 and a 52 week high of $74.90.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 11th. The company reported $1.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.00 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $33.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.08 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 1.86% and a return on equity of 32.62%. The firm's revenue was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.93 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.700-4.800 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 1st. Investors of record on Friday, November 14th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 14th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Kroger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.53%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Gabriel Arreaga sold 37,960 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.44, for a total value of $2,749,822.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 75,218 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,448,791.92. The trade was a 33.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Yael Cosset sold 71,224 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 139,124 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,224,222.76. This trade represents a 33.86% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 198,948 shares of company stock valued at $14,422,926 in the last ninety days. 0.44% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on shares of Kroger from $57.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, June 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group set a $83.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, June 23rd. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, July 21st. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $75.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Kroger from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, September 13th. Finally, Argus set a $85.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $72.70.

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.