Two Sigma Investments LP Sells 827,600 Shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

Two Sigma Investments LP lessened its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 52.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 753,541 shares of the company's stock after selling 827,600 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP owned about 0.10% of Kroger worth $46,079,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of KR. Strategic Global Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 4.0% during the fourth quarter. Strategic Global Advisors LLC now owns 77,013 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,709,000 after acquiring an additional 2,963 shares in the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank raised its holdings in Kroger by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 359,121 shares of the company's stock worth $21,960,000 after purchasing an additional 4,911 shares in the last quarter. Steadfast Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter worth about $277,989,000. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter valued at about $730,000. Finally, Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at about $16,014,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kroger

In other Kroger news, VP Brian W. Nichols sold 1,300 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.71, for a total transaction of $86,723.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 12,090 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $806,523.90. This represents a 9.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Todd A. Foley sold 28,105 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction on Friday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.62, for a total transaction of $1,872,355.10. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 52,861 shares in the company, valued at $3,521,599.82. This represents a 34.71% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 334,923 shares of company stock worth $22,867,124. Insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have commented on KR. Melius lowered shares of Kroger from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating and set a $58.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Melius Research cut Kroger from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $70.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Roth Capital set a $58.00 price objective on Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $67.39.

Kroger Stock Up 0.1%

KR stock opened at $68.92 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $45.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.23, a P/E/G ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.07. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $49.04 and a 1-year high of $73.63. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $68.63 and a 200-day moving average price of $63.98.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 6th. The company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.09 by $0.05. Kroger had a return on equity of 27.73% and a net margin of 1.85%. The business had revenue of $34.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.96 billion. Equities analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th will be given a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.86%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 15th. Kroger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.88%.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.