Kroger (NYSE:KR) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Analysts at Wall Street Zen upgraded Kroger's rating from "buy" to "strong-buy", reflecting increased confidence in the company's stock performance.
• Kroger's stock opened at $69.13, with a market capitalization of $45.81 billion and recent quarterly earnings reporting $1.04 earnings per share, slightly beating expectations.
• Institutional investors own 80.93% of Kroger's stock, indicating strong institutional support and confidence in the retailer's growth prospects.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Argus set a $85.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, September 18th. Barclays began coverage on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, July 21st. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $75.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, September 12th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $74.00 target price (up previously from $66.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, June 23rd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $74.50.

Kroger Stock Up 0.4%

Kroger stock opened at $69.13 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $45.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.55, a P/E/G ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.57. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $68.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $69.11. The company has a current ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.85. Kroger has a 1-year low of $55.60 and a 1-year high of $74.90.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results 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. The business had revenue of $33.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.08 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 1.86% and a return on equity of 32.62%. Kroger's revenue for the quarter was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.93 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.700-4.800 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Kroger will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. IFC Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. IFC Advisors LLC now owns 8,642 shares of the company's stock worth $585,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC now owns 8,025 shares of the company's stock valued at $576,000 after acquiring an additional 146 shares in the last quarter. PDS Planning Inc boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. PDS Planning Inc now owns 7,715 shares of the company's stock valued at $553,000 after acquiring an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. Cairn Investment Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter. Cairn Investment Group Inc. now owns 58,902 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,225,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Independent Wealth Network Inc. boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Independent Wealth Network Inc. now owns 19,312 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,385,000 after acquiring an additional 164 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

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.

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