Ledyard National Bank Has $14.13 Million Stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

Ledyard National Bank lowered its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 3.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 208,722 shares of the company's stock after selling 7,161 shares during the quarter. Kroger accounts for about 1.4% of Ledyard National Bank's holdings, making the stock its 20th largest position. Ledyard National Bank's holdings in Kroger were worth $14,128,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its stake in Kroger by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 18,045 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,103,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares during the period. Rothschild Investment LLC boosted its holdings in Kroger by 2.0% during the first quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 8,049 shares of the company's stock valued at $545,000 after purchasing an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 6,704 shares of the company's stock valued at $410,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares during the period. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 7,834 shares of the company's stock worth $479,000 after buying an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Keybank National Association OH lifted its position in shares of Kroger by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 23,410 shares of the company's stock worth $1,432,000 after buying an additional 167 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KR has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Melius Research raised Kroger from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Guggenheim boosted their price target on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $82.00 price objective (up previously from $73.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, June 20th. Finally, Roth Capital set a $58.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. Nine investment 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 presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $69.47.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Carin L. Fike sold 16,475 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.79, for a total transaction of $1,215,690.25. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 49,360 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,642,274.40. This trade represents a 25.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Timothy A. Massa sold 8,415 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.00, for a total transaction of $622,710.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 118,761 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,788,314. This represents a 6.62% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 207,793 shares of company stock valued at $14,938,358. Company insiders own 0.44% of the company's stock.

Kroger Trading Down 1.6%

Kroger stock traded down $1.21 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $72.21. The stock had a trading volume of 5,473,177 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,865,279. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $69.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $65.43. The company has a current ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.72 billion, a PE ratio of 19.68, a P/E/G ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 0.58. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $49.04 and a 12 month high of $74.11.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, June 20th. The company reported $1.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $45.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.35 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 1.76% and a return on equity of 30.01%. The company's revenue for the quarter was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.43 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

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.