Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. Cuts Stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. reduced its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 7.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 251,800 shares of the company's stock after selling 21,600 shares during the period. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V.'s holdings in Kroger were worth $17,044,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Kroger by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 82,223,697 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,027,979,000 after purchasing an additional 773,182 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Kroger by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 16,436,688 shares of the company's stock worth $1,002,479,000 after buying an additional 416,962 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in Kroger by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 14,113,596 shares of the company's stock valued at $863,060,000 after acquiring an additional 120,250 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at about $598,390,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 13.3% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,829,401 shares of the company's stock worth $478,768,000 after acquiring an additional 916,230 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Melius raised Kroger from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $70.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. Roth Capital set a $58.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $73.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday. Melius Research upgraded shares of Kroger from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Kroger from $65.00 to $71.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, May 19th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $68.06.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Christine S. Wheatley sold 30,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.44, for a total value of $2,083,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 127,737 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,870,057.28. The trade was a 19.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Gabriel Arreaga sold 15,959 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.63, for a total value of $1,047,389.17. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 89,085 shares in the company, valued at $5,846,648.55. This trade represents a 15.19% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 138,638 shares of company stock valued at $9,632,165 over the last quarter. 0.44% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Kroger Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of KR stock traded up $0.47 on Monday, reaching $66.03. 6,507,782 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,790,595. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $68.87 and its 200 day simple moving average is $65.04. The Kroger Co. has a 52 week low of $49.04 and a 52 week high of $73.63. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.64 billion, a PE ratio of 17.47, a P/E/G ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.58.

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.