ING Groep NV Has $4.94 Million Stake in The Kroger Co. $KR

ING Groep NV grew its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 166.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 78,989 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 49,356 shares during the period. ING Groep NV’s holdings in Kroger were worth $4,935,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in KR. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of Kroger by 61.1% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 33,367,551 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,249,307,000 after buying an additional 12,652,261 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $470,561,000. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Kroger by 299.6% during the 2nd quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 2,420,495 shares of the company’s stock worth $173,622,000 after purchasing an additional 1,814,721 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in Kroger by 95.6% during the 2nd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 2,434,663 shares of the company’s stock worth $174,638,000 after purchasing an additional 1,190,127 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. raised its holdings in Kroger by 51.0% in the 3rd quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 2,991,513 shares of the company’s stock valued at $201,658,000 after acquiring an additional 1,010,457 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of KR opened at $62.95 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.14, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.80. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $67.35 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $66.60. The Kroger Co. has a 52 week low of $58.60 and a 52 week high of $76.58.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 91.50%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $75.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 target price (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, March 6th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.73.

About Kroger

The Kroger Co (NYSE: KR) is one of the largest supermarket operators in the United States, offering a wide range of retail grocery and related services. Founded in Cincinnati in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, the company operates a portfolio of supermarket and multi-department store banners and provides customers with fresh foods, packaged groceries, deli and bakery items, meat and seafood, produce, and prepared foods. Kroger’s stores commonly include pharmacy services and fuel centers, positioning the company as a broad-based neighborhood retail destination for everyday needs.

In addition to traditional in-store retailing, Kroger manufactures and distributes a variety of private-label brands and operates its own food production and supply-chain facilities.