The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Shares Purchased by UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 15.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 6,363,964 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 865,699 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC owned 0.88% of Kroger worth $389,156,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Millstone Evans Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. TCTC Holdings LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Transce3nd LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Centricity Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Carin L. Fike sold 4,492 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.53, for a total transaction of $298,852.76. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 3,480 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $231,524.40. This represents a 56.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Brian W. Nichols sold 1,300 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.71, for a total transaction of $86,723.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 12,090 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $806,523.90. This trade represents a 9.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 334,923 shares of company stock valued at $22,867,124. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Kroger Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of NYSE KR traded up $0.66 during trading on Friday, hitting $68.61. 5,516,759 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,668,093. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $49.04 and a 1 year high of $73.63. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $68.86 and a 200-day moving average price of $64.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 6th. The company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.09 by $0.05. Kroger had a net margin of 1.85% and a return on equity of 27.73%. The company had revenue of $34.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $34.96 billion. On average, equities analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.87%. Kroger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.88%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on KR. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Kroger from $65.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $70.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Kroger from $61.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Guggenheim lifted their target price 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. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $68.06.

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.