NorthRock Partners LLC Boosts Position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

NorthRock Partners LLC boosted its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 73.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 7,332 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 3,099 shares during the period. NorthRock Partners LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $448,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Avanza Fonder AB purchased a new position in Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $4,210,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in Kroger by 0.6% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 6,164,855 shares of the company’s stock valued at $353,246,000 after buying an additional 37,222 shares during the period. Sylvest Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,132,000. Donoghue Forlines LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,130,000. Finally, Flavin Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $360,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kroger

In other Kroger news, EVP Christine S. Wheatley sold 30,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.07, for a total value of $2,162,100.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 97,737 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,043,905.59. This trade represents a 23.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Gabriel Arreaga sold 13,867 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.82, for a total transaction of $995,927.94. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 75,218 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,402,156.76. This represents a 15.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 334,923 shares of company stock worth $22,867,124. 1.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Kroger Stock Performance

Kroger stock opened at $68.79 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $45.46 billion, a PE ratio of 18.20, a P/E/G ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $68.55 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $63.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.07. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $49.04 and a 12 month high of $73.63.

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

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th will be paid a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.86%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 15th. Kroger’s payout ratio is 34.88%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KR has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Melius lowered shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $58.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. Melius Research lowered shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $74.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $73.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $67.06.

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.