Natixis Advisors LLC Grows Position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC increased its stake in Kroger by 9.3% in Q1, holding approximately 430,658 shares valued at $29.15 million.
• A quarterly dividend increase was announced, with a new payout of $0.35 per share, up from $0.32, effective September 1st.
• Kroger's stock received varied ratings from analysts, with a current average target price of $70.16 and several firms maintaining an "outperform" status.

Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 9.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 430,658 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 36,789 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC owned 0.07% of Kroger worth $29,152,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Transce3nd LLC acquired a new position in Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Garde Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in Kroger during the first quarter worth approximately $31,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in Kroger during the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its holdings in Kroger by 46.7% during the first quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 550 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Accredited Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger during the fourth quarter worth approximately $49,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Kroger Price Performance

NYSE KR traded up $1.89 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $73.64. The stock had a trading volume of 2,830,184 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,079,263. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $50.69 and a 52-week high of $74.11. The company has a market cap of $48.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.05, a P/E/G ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $69.55 and a 200 day simple moving average of $67.60. 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 released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, June 20th. The company reported $1.49 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.04. Kroger had a return on equity of 34.71% and a net margin of 1.89%. The firm had revenue of $45.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.35 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.43 EPS. Kroger's quarterly revenue was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This is an increase from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Kroger's dividend payout ratio is 34.88%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Melius Research upgraded Kroger from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Guggenheim lifted their price objective on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Kroger from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Kroger from $72.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on Kroger from $57.00 to $67.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, June 23rd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $70.16.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kroger

In other Kroger news, EVP Mary Ellen Adcock sold 34,250 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.16, for a total value of $2,437,230.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 184,473 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,127,098.68. The trade was a 15.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Timothy A. Massa sold 8,415 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.00, for a total transaction of $622,710.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 118,761 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,788,314. The trade was a 6.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 198,948 shares of company stock valued at $14,422,926. 0.44% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.