Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC Trims Holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC cut its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 2.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 10,291 shares of the company’s stock after selling 270 shares during the quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $470,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new stake in Kroger in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 370.1% during the third quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 630 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 496 shares during the last quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. grew its position in shares of Kroger by 430.8% in the third quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 637 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 517 shares during the period. ORG Partners LLC increased its stake in Kroger by 613.0% in the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 820 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 705 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Command Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in Kroger during the third quarter worth about $40,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $55.24 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $39.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a 50 day moving average of $55.12 and a two-hundred day moving average of $48.75. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $42.10 and a 52-week high of $58.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 7th. The company reported $1.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.13 by $0.21. Kroger had a net margin of 1.44% and a return on equity of 31.44%. The business had revenue of $37.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $37.07 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.99 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, June 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 15th will be issued a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.10%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 14th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kroger

In other news, VP Carin L. Fike sold 3,929 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.03, for a total transaction of $224,070.87. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 3,768 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $214,889.04. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, SVP Kenneth C. Kimball sold 30,251 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.98, for a total transaction of $1,693,450.98. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 105,298 shares in the company, valued at $5,894,582.04. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Carin L. Fike sold 3,929 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.03, for a total transaction of $224,070.87. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 3,768 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $214,889.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 55,796 shares of company stock worth $3,118,767 in the last 90 days. 1.38% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on KR. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Kroger from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $58.00 to $65.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 16th. Guggenheim upped their price target on shares of Kroger from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 19th. BNP Paribas reiterated an “underperform” rating and issued a $48.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, April 8th. Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on Kroger from $63.00 to $62.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 16th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $62.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $55.17.

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.