Impax Asset Management Group plc raised its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 58.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 102,194 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 37,892 shares during the quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc's holdings in Kroger were worth $4,671,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of KR. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in Kroger during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 370.1% in the third quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 630 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 496 shares in the last quarter. KB Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth about $28,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 430.8% during the 3rd quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 637 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 517 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company's stock.
Kroger Price Performance
Shares of KR stock traded down $0.44 during trading on Thursday, hitting $56.16. The company had a trading volume of 3,272,313 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,005,821. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.48. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $42.10 and a one year high of $58.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 0.81. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $51.87 and its 200 day moving average price is $47.32.
Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 7th. The company reported $1.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.13 by $0.21. Kroger had a return on equity of 31.44% and a net margin of 1.44%. The firm had revenue of $37.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $37.07 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.99 EPS. The company's revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 4.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Kroger Dividend Announcement
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 15th will be given a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.07%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 14th. Kroger's payout ratio is presently 39.19%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Guggenheim raised their price objective on shares of Kroger from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 19th. BNP Paribas reissued an "underperform" rating and issued a $48.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their price target on Kroger from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, March 28th. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on Kroger from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Kroger from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and boosted their target price for the company from $42.00 to $50.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $54.08.
View Our Latest Stock Report on KR
Kroger Company Profile
(
Free Report)
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.
Further Reading
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