Kroger (NYSE:KR) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Guggenheim Analyst Says

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) had its price objective lifted by equities researchers at Guggenheim from $73.00 to $78.00 in a report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "buy" rating on the stock. Guggenheim's price target indicates a potential upside of 5.80% from the company's current price.

KR has been the subject of several other research reports. Melius Research raised shares of Kroger from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Kroger from $65.00 to $71.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, May 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Kroger from $72.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Melius upgraded shares of Kroger from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $70.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. Finally, Roth Capital set a $58.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Kroger presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $69.21.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of KR stock traded up $1.75 during trading on Monday, hitting $73.72. The company had a trading volume of 2,446,107 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,214,547. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $68.89 and its 200 day moving average price is $65.27. Kroger has a one year low of $49.04 and a one year high of $74.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $48.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.59.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, June 20th. The company reported $1.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $45.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.35 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 1.76% and a return on equity of 30.01%. The business's revenue for the quarter was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.43 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Kroger will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Kroger news, EVP Christine S. Wheatley sold 30,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 23rd. The stock was 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 represents a 23.49% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Gabriel Arreaga sold 13,867 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.82, for a total transaction of $995,927.94. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 75,218 shares in the company, valued at $5,402,156.76. This trade represents a 15.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 111,679 shares of company stock worth $7,865,706. 0.44% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kroger

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Accent Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger in the first quarter worth about $25,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC purchased a new position in Kroger in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. TCTC Holdings LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Transce3nd LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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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