Laurion Capital Management LP Purchases Shares of 430,010 The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

Laurion Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 430,010 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $26,295,000. Kroger comprises approximately 0.5% of Laurion Capital Management LP's investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. Laurion Capital Management LP owned approximately 0.06% of Kroger as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KR. Millstone Evans Group LLC purchased a new position in Kroger during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Kroger during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. TCTC Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Transce3nd LLC acquired a new position in Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Centricity Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Kroger Stock Up 1.9%

Kroger stock traded up $1.29 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $67.63. The stock had a trading volume of 7,941,092 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,700,566. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $49.04 and a 12 month high of $73.63. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $68.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $63.62. The stock has a market cap of $44.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.62.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 6th. The company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.09 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $34.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.96 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 1.85% and a return on equity of 27.73%. Research analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.89%. Kroger's payout ratio is 34.88%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on KR shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Kroger from $72.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Melius lowered shares of Kroger from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating and set a $58.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Kroger from $62.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $70.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Kroger from $61.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Kroger currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $67.06.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Christine S. Wheatley sold 30,000 shares of the 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 trade represents a 23.49% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Brian W. Nichols sold 1,300 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.71, for a total transaction of $86,723.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 12,090 shares in the company, valued at $806,523.90. This represents a 9.71% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 334,923 shares of company stock worth $22,867,124 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

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.