Kroger (NYSE:KR) EVP Mary Ellen Adcock Sells 72,901 Shares

Key Points

• Kroger EVP Mary Ellen Adcock sold 72,901 shares at an average price of $60.70, generating approximately $4.43 million. Her remaining stake fell 29.38% to 175,233 shares.
• Kroger’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with adjusted earnings of $1.09 per share versus the $1.05 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $34.62 billion and rose 2% year over year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.39 per share, equivalent to a $1.56 annualized payout and a 2.6% yield. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $69.

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total transaction of $4,425,090.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 175,233 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,636,643.10. This represents a 29.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Kroger Trading Down 0.7%

NYSE KR traded down $0.42 on Monday, reaching $59.58. The stock had a trading volume of 3,044,944 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,926,536. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $57.96 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $63.37. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $54.15 and a 12-month high of $76.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.41.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $34.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $34.64 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 49.90% and a net margin of 0.73%.The company's revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.04 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 16th. Kroger's dividend payout ratio is currently 84.78%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kroger

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $3,016,956,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 0.4% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 12,296,026 shares of the company's stock worth $889,878,000 after buying an additional 53,625 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $470,561,000. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in shares of Kroger by 17.0% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,041,028 shares of the company's stock valued at $437,129,000 after buying an additional 876,168 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the second quarter valued at approximately $284,501,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on KR shares. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, June 1st. Roth Capital reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $73.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, September 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $68.00 target price on Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $69.00.

Kroger Company Profile

The Kroger Co NYSE: KR is one of the largest grocery retailers in the United States. Founded in Cincinnati in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, the company operates supermarkets, multi-department stores, pharmacies, convenience stores and fuel centers across the country.

Kroger sells a broad range of fresh foods, packaged groceries, household products, health and beauty items, prepared foods and general merchandise. Its private-label offerings include Simple Truth, Private Selection and Kroger brands.

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