Insider Selling: The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) SVP Sells $1,693,450.98 in Stock

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) SVP Kenneth C. Kimball sold 30,251 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.98, for a total value of $1,693,450.98. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 105,298 shares in the company, valued at $5,894,582.04. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of KR stock opened at $55.49 on Monday. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $42.10 and a 12-month high of $58.34. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $54.24 and its 200-day simple moving average is $48.29. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. The company has a market cap of $40.05 billion, a PE ratio of 18.75, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.48.

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

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 15th will be issued a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 14th. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.09%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.19%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kroger

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. IFP Advisors Inc raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 10.7% in the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 5,767 shares of the company’s stock worth $258,000 after purchasing an additional 558 shares during the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 18.2% during the third quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 17,808 shares of the company’s stock worth $797,000 after purchasing an additional 2,743 shares during the last quarter. Oak Thistle LLC acquired a new position in Kroger during the third quarter valued at $496,000. Czech National Bank boosted its holdings in Kroger by 49.3% in the third quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 115,411 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,165,000 after purchasing an additional 38,119 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Asset Management One Co. Ltd. grew its position in Kroger by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 487,153 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,800,000 after purchasing an additional 1,572 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.