True North Advisors LLC Has $2.79 Million Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• True North Advisors LLC reduced its stake in The Kroger Co. by 9.7%, holding 38,925 shares valued at $2.79 million as of the last reporting period.
• Kroger reported an EPS of $1.04 for the recent quarter, beating estimates, but generated revenue of $33.94 billion, slightly below analyst expectations.
• The company will pay a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share on December 1, representing a yield of 2.1% with a payout ratio of 35.53%.

True North Advisors LLC reduced its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 9.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 38,925 shares of the company's stock after selling 4,192 shares during the quarter. True North Advisors LLC's holdings in Kroger were worth $2,792,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Accent Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Garde Capital Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth approximately $31,000. Capital Analysts LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth approximately $36,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth approximately $38,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $65.51 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $69.44 and a 200 day simple moving average of $68.96. The company has a current ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.63, a PEG ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.59. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $54.88 and a one year high of $74.90.

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

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 14th. Kroger's dividend payout ratio is currently 35.53%.

Insider Transactions at Kroger

In other Kroger news, Director Clyde R. Moore sold 26,814 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.50, for a total transaction of $1,890,387.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 99,143 shares in the company, valued at $6,989,581.50. This represents a 21.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.44% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $75.00 price target (down from $82.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, August 20th. Argus set a $85.00 price target on Kroger in a report on Thursday, September 18th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $83.00 price target on Kroger and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 23rd. Roth Mkm upgraded Kroger from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price target for the stock from $66.00 to $75.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Finally, Guggenheim restated a "buy" rating and issued a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, September 12th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $73.63.

About Kroger

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.

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