The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Shares Bought by Capital World Investors

Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 0.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 11,180,717 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,825 shares during the period. Capital World Investors owned about 1.55% of Kroger worth $683,701,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. McIlrath & Eck LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 220.9% during the third quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 2,888 shares of the company’s stock valued at $165,000 after purchasing an additional 1,988 shares during the last quarter. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd lifted its stake in Kroger by 1.2% during the third quarter. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd now owns 179,707 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,239,000 after buying an additional 2,060 shares in the last quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the third quarter worth about $566,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the third quarter worth approximately $95,000. Finally, Tidal Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 1.2% during the third quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 59,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,391,000 after acquiring an additional 698 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Kroger Stock Up 3.3 %

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $71.30 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $66.15 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $61.80. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.54 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 $71.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.86, a PEG ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.60.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 6th. The company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.09 by $0.05. Kroger had a net margin of 1.85% and a return on equity of 27.73%. The company had revenue of $34.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.96 billion. Equities analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th will be given a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.80%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is 34.88%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on KR shares. Melius cut shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $58.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. StockNews.com downgraded Kroger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Melius Research lowered Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Guggenheim upped their target price on Kroger from $71.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $70.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $66.50.

Insider Transactions at Kroger

In other news, VP Carin L. Fike sold 4,492 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.53, for a total value of $298,852.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 3,480 shares in the company, valued at approximately $231,524.40. This represents a 56.35 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Brian W. Nichols sold 1,300 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction dated 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 approximately $806,523.90. This trade represents a 9.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 290,056 shares of company stock worth $19,637,066. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.