Kroger (NYSE:KR) Given "Buy (B)" Rating at Weiss Ratings

Key Points

• Kroger's stock has been given a “Buy (B)” rating by Weiss Ratings, with multiple analysts increasing their price targets, including Evercore ISI raising it to $82.00.
• The company reported $1.04 earnings per share for the last quarter, which surpasses analysts' expectations and indicates a slight year-over-year revenue increase.
• Kroger's market capitalization stands at $45.15 billion, with shares currently trading around $68.13, experiencing a 52-week range between $54.88 and $74.90.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy (b)" rating reaffirmed by equities research analysts at Weiss Ratings in a report released on Wednesday,Weiss Ratings reports.

KR has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Kroger from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday, September 21st. Argus set a $85.00 target price on Kroger in a report on Thursday, September 18th. Roth Mkm raised Kroger from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their target price for the stock from $66.00 to $75.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Finally, Barclays initiated coverage on Kroger in a report on Monday, July 21st. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $75.00 target price on the stock. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Kroger presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $73.63.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $68.13 on Wednesday. Kroger has a fifty-two week low of $54.88 and a fifty-two week high of $74.90. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $68.59 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $69.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.85. The firm has a market cap of $45.15 billion, a PE ratio of 17.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.57.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 11th. The company reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.00 by $0.04. Kroger had a return on equity of 32.62% and a net margin of 1.86%.The firm had revenue of $33.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.08 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.93 EPS. Kroger's quarterly revenue was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.700-4.800 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Kroger will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Clyde R. Moore sold 3,810 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.61, for a total value of $272,834.10. Following the sale, the director directly owned 85,850 shares in the company, valued at $6,147,718.50. This trade represents a 4.25% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.44% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Kroger

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Kroger by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 14,299,898 shares of the company's stock valued at $967,863,000 after purchasing an additional 186,302 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the 2nd quarter valued at $518,267,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of Kroger by 85.3% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 6,397,771 shares of the company's stock valued at $433,065,000 after purchasing an additional 2,945,848 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Kroger by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,067,209 shares of the company's stock valued at $342,999,000 after purchasing an additional 31,477 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in shares of Kroger by 7.9% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,126,866 shares of the company's stock valued at $296,028,000 after purchasing an additional 300,784 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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