Strategy Asset Managers LLC Invests $617,000 in The Kroger Co. $KR

Strategy Asset Managers LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 9,148 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $617,000.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. State of Wyoming grew its position in Kroger by 97.3% during the 3rd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 1,813 shares of the company’s stock valued at $122,000 after purchasing an additional 894 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its stake in shares of Kroger by 15.3% in the third quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 58,117 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,806,000 after buying an additional 7,733 shares in the last quarter. Arjuna Capital grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 0.7% during the third quarter. Arjuna Capital now owns 81,774 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,512,000 after buying an additional 606 shares during the last quarter. AXS Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the third quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Finally, Mediolanum International Funds Ltd raised its holdings in Kroger by 401.3% in the 3rd quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd now owns 19,470 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,293,000 after acquiring an additional 15,586 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Stock Performance

KR opened at $63.06 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $63.07 and its 200 day moving average is $66.32. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28. The company has a market cap of $39.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 58.39, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.61. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $58.60 and a 12-month high of $74.90.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.02. Kroger had a net margin of 0.54% and a return on equity of 38.06%. The business had revenue of $33.86 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.27 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.98 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Kroger’s payout ratio is 129.63%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have commented on KR shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Morgan Stanley set a $67.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Evercore ISI set a $77.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Kroger currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $73.80.

Kroger Profile

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.