Candriam S.C.A. Has $3.68 Million Stake in The Kroger Co. $KR

Candriam S.C.A. trimmed its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 24.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 54,299 shares of the company’s stock after selling 17,182 shares during the period. Candriam S.C.A.’s holdings in Kroger were worth $3,675,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Accent Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Garde Capital Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth about $31,000. Capital Analysts LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth about $36,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 46.7% during the first quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 550 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the period. Finally, GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth about $38,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Stock Performance

KR opened at $69.4330 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $50.69 and a 52-week high of $74.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.89 billion, a PE ratio of 18.92, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.95. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $70.95 and its 200 day simple moving average is $68.56.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, June 20th. The company reported $1.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $45.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.35 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 34.71% and a net margin of 1.89%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.43 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.600-4.800 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Shareholders 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. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 38.15%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

KR has been the subject of several recent research reports. Melius Research raised Kroger from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Barclays started coverage on Kroger in a report on Monday, July 21st. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $75.00 target price on the stock. Evercore ISI upped their target price on Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $82.00 target price (up previously from $73.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, June 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $75.00 target price (down previously from $82.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.58.

Insider Transactions at Kroger

In other Kroger news, EVP Gabriel Arreaga sold 37,960 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.44, for a total value of $2,749,822.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 75,218 shares in the company, valued at $5,448,791.92. This represents a 33.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Mary Ellen Adcock sold 34,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.16, for a total value of $2,437,230.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 184,473 shares in the company, valued at $13,127,098.68. This represents a 15.66% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 198,948 shares of company stock valued at $14,422,926. Company insiders own 0.44% of the company’s stock.

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.