UBS Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Kroger (NYSE:KR) Stock

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) had its price objective boosted by analysts at UBS Group from $66.00 to $74.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "neutral" rating on the stock. UBS Group's price target indicates a potential upside of 0.38% from the stock's previous close.

Several other brokerages also recently commented on KR. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Kroger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday. Melius Research upgraded shares of Kroger from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on Kroger from $57.00 to $67.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Monday. Melius upgraded Kroger from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $70.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Kroger from $65.00 to $71.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, May 19th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Kroger currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $69.21.

Kroger Stock Performance

NYSE KR traded up $1.75 on Monday, hitting $73.72. 2,446,107 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,823,702. Kroger has a 52 week low of $49.04 and a 52 week high of $74.09. The company has a market capitalization of $48.72 billion, a PE ratio of 20.11, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.59. The business's fifty day moving average is $68.89 and its 200 day moving average is $65.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.53.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Carin L. Fike sold 5,541 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.79, for a total transaction of $392,247.39. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 3,480 shares in the company, valued at approximately $246,349.20. This trade represents a 61.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Christine S. Wheatley sold 30,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 23rd. The shares were 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 approximately $7,043,905.59. The trade was a 23.49% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 111,679 shares of company stock valued at $7,865,706 in the last three months. 0.44% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Voya Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Kroger by 1.3% in the first quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 208,073 shares of the company's stock worth $14,084,000 after buying an additional 2,586 shares in the last quarter. 1248 Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at about $631,000. First Hawaiian Bank bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the first quarter worth approximately $383,000. Modern Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Kroger in the 1st quarter worth $654,000. Finally, Strs Ohio bought a new stake in shares of Kroger in the first quarter worth about $62,730,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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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