Clyde R. Moore Sells 26,814 Shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Stock

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) Director Clyde R. Moore sold 26,814 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.50, for a total transaction of $1,890,387.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 99,143 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,989,581.50. This represents a 21.29% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:KR traded up $1.77 during trading on Monday, hitting $72.35. 7,283,068 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,907,049. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $50.69 and a 1-year high of $74.11. The company has a market capitalization of $47.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.59. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $68.90 and its 200-day simple moving average is $66.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.95.

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

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. This is a positive change from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.93%. Kroger's payout ratio is currently 34.88%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on KR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Kroger from $72.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on Kroger from $57.00 to $67.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. Melius raised Kroger from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $70.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $82.00 price objective (up from $73.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, June 20th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $74.00 price objective (up from $66.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $70.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kroger

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Kroger by 1.7% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 12,545 shares of the company's stock worth $850,000 after acquiring an additional 213 shares during the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co raised its position in shares of Kroger by 3.7% during the first quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 6,429 shares of the company's stock worth $435,000 after acquiring an additional 229 shares during the last quarter. Sovereign Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter worth $351,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter worth $223,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Kroger by 8.8% during the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 307,790 shares of the company's stock worth $20,834,000 after acquiring an additional 24,849 shares during 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.