Vident Advisory LLC Acquires 28,686 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• Vident Advisory LLC increased its stake in The Kroger Co. by 135.3% in the first quarter, bringing its total holdings to 49,884 shares valued at approximately $3.37 million.
• Kroger recently announced a quarterly dividend increase to $0.35 per share, reflecting a 2.1% dividend yield, with the ex-dividend date set for August 15th.
• Several analysts have adjusted their ratings and price targets for Kroger, with Guggenheim increasing its target from $73.00 to $78.00 and Telsey Advisory Group setting a new target at $82.00.

Vident Advisory LLC lifted its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 135.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 49,884 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 28,686 shares during the quarter. Vident Advisory LLC's holdings in Kroger were worth $3,377,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Accent Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Kroger during the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Garde Capital Inc. purchased a new position in Kroger in the first quarter valued at about $31,000. Capital Analysts LLC acquired a new position in Kroger in the 1st quarter worth about $36,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 46.7% during the 1st quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 550 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 1st quarter valued at about $38,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of KR traded down $0.50 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $68.14. 6,847,177 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,318,952. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $50.69 and a 1-year high of $74.90. The stock has a market cap of $45.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 0.59. The stock's fifty day moving average is $70.81 and its 200 day moving average is $68.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.95.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, June 20th. The company reported $1.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $45.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.35 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 34.71% and a net margin of 1.89%.The company's quarterly revenue was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.43 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.600-4.800 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th were issued a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 15th. This is a boost from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. Kroger's payout ratio is currently 38.15%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on KR. UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $74.00 price objective (up from $66.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, June 23rd. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 12th. Guggenheim increased their price objective on Kroger from $73.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 23rd. Barclays started coverage on Kroger in a research note on Monday, July 21st. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $75.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $75.00 target price (down previously from $82.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, August 20th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $70.58.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kroger

In related news, Director Clyde R. Moore sold 26,814 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, July 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.50, for a total value of $1,890,387.00. Following the sale, the director owned 99,143 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,989,581.50. The trade was a 21.29% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Gabriel Arreaga sold 37,960 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.44, for a total value of $2,749,822.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 75,218 shares in the company, valued at $5,448,791.92. This trade represents a 33.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 198,948 shares of company stock worth $14,422,926 over the last three months. 0.44% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.