The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Shares Purchased by Focus Partners Wealth

Focus Partners Wealth lifted its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 74.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 33,491 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 14,344 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth's holdings in Kroger were worth $2,074,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Millstone Evans Group LLC bought a new stake in Kroger during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. TCTC Holdings LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Transce3nd LLC bought a new position in Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new stake in Kroger during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Kroger news, EVP Gabriel Arreaga sold 13,867 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.82, for a total transaction of $995,927.94. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 75,218 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,402,156.76. The trade was a 15.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Christine S. Wheatley sold 30,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.07, for a total value of $2,162,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 97,737 shares in the company, valued at $7,043,905.59. This trade represents a 23.49% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 334,923 shares of company stock worth $22,867,124 in the last ninety days. 1.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on KR. Melius raised Kroger from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $70.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Kroger from $61.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, March 7th. 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. Evercore ISI upped their target price on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Guggenheim upped their price objective on shares of Kroger from $71.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $68.06.

Kroger Stock Up 0.8%

NYSE:KR traded up $0.53 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $69.49. 6,526,861 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,674,264. The stock has a market capitalization of $45.93 billion, a PE ratio of 18.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.54. The business has a 50-day moving average of $68.63 and a two-hundred day moving average of $63.98. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $49.04 and a 12-month high of $73.63.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 6th. The company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 the consensus estimate of $34.96 billion. On average, equities analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.84%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 15th. Kroger's dividend payout ratio is currently 34.88%.

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.