The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Sees Large Decrease in Short Interest

Key Points

• Kroger Co. experienced a significant decline in short interest, dropping by 33.1% in September, down to 27.3 million shares from 40.79 million.
• Several analysts have issued positive ratings, with Telsey Advisory Group maintaining an "outperform" rating and multiple firms setting price targets ranging between $75.00 and $85.00.
• Kroger declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share, representing an annual yield of 2.1%, with the ex-dividend date set for November 14th.

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) saw a large decline in short interest in September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totaling 27,300,000 shares, a decline of 33.1% from the September 15th total of 40,790,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 7,070,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.9 days. Currently, 4.2% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Currently, 4.2% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 7,070,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.9 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on KR. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $82.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, September 11th. Wall Street Zen raised Kroger from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday. Argus set a $85.00 price target on Kroger in a report on Thursday, September 18th. Roth Capital raised Kroger from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $75.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $74.50.

Kroger Price Performance

Kroger stock opened at $67.63 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $44.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.17, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.57. Kroger has a 1 year low of $55.60 and a 1 year high of $74.90. The business has a 50-day moving average of $67.81 and a 200-day moving average of $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 (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 11th. The company reported $1.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.00 by $0.04. Kroger had a return on equity of 32.62% and a net margin of 1.86%.The business had revenue of $33.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.08 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.93 EPS. Kroger's quarterly revenue was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.700-4.800 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Kroger will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 14th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 14th. Kroger's payout ratio is presently 35.53%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kroger

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KR. IFC Advisors LLC raised its stake 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 in the last quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC raised its stake 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 worth $576,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares in the last quarter. PDS Planning Inc raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. PDS Planning Inc now owns 7,715 shares of the company's stock worth $553,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. Cairn Investment Group Inc. raised its stake in Kroger by 0.3% in 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 during the period. Finally, Independent Wealth Network Inc. raised its stake in Kroger by 0.9% in 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 during the period. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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