Transform Wealth LLC Grows Stock Holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

Transform Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 44.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 40,366 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 12,486 shares during the period. Transform Wealth LLC's holdings in Kroger were worth $2,732,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. USA Financial Formulas acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth about $870,000. Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC lifted its position in Kroger by 8.5% during the 1st quarter. Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC now owns 7,597 shares of the company's stock worth $514,000 after acquiring an additional 597 shares during the period. Sanibel Captiva Trust Company Inc. grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 122.0% in the 1st quarter. Sanibel Captiva Trust Company Inc. now owns 10,075 shares of the company's stock valued at $682,000 after purchasing an additional 5,536 shares during the last quarter. Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 12.0% in the 1st quarter. Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI now owns 15,015 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,016,000 after purchasing an additional 1,612 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 10.3% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 25,209 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,706,000 after purchasing an additional 2,347 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on KR shares. Melius upgraded shares of Kroger from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $70.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Roth Capital set a $58.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Guggenheim boosted their price target on shares of Kroger from $71.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. Telsey Advisory Group restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $73.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Kroger from $65.00 to $71.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, May 19th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $68.06.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Christine S. Wheatley sold 30,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.07, for a total transaction of $2,162,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 97,737 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,043,905.59. This represents a 23.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Kenneth C. Kimball sold 11,000 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction on Friday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.37, for a total transaction of $719,070.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 127,106 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,308,919.22. This trade represents a 7.96% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 160,815 shares of company stock valued at $11,101,588. Company insiders own 0.44% of the company's stock.

Kroger Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE KR traded up $0.12 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $64.74. 2,304,831 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,767,990. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $68.92 and a 200-day moving average price of $64.91. 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 company has a market capitalization of $42.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.13, a P/E/G ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.58. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $49.04 and a 52-week high of $73.63.

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.