StockNews.com Lowers Kroger (NYSE:KR) to Buy

Kroger (NYSE:KR) was downgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday.

KR has been the topic of several other research reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Kroger from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $58.00 to $65.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 16th. Evercore ISI lowered their target price on shares of Kroger from $63.00 to $62.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 16th. BNP Paribas reissued an “underperform” rating and issued a $48.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, April 8th. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of Kroger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $58.00 to $60.00 in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $62.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $55.90.

Kroger Stock Performance

KR opened at $51.98 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. Kroger has a 12-month low of $42.10 and a 12-month high of $58.34. The company has a market cap of $37.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.56, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.43. The company’s 50 day moving average is $53.87 and its 200 day moving average is $50.67.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kroger

In related news, CFO Todd A. Foley sold 6,616 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.69, for a total transaction of $368,445.04. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 46,958 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,615,091.02. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, VP Carin L. Fike sold 3,929 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 23rd. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $214,889.04. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Todd A. Foley sold 6,616 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.69, for a total value of $368,445.04. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 46,958 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,615,091.02. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 55,796 shares of company stock worth $3,118,767. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kroger

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Jackson Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Kroger by 24.2% during the first quarter. Jackson Wealth Management LLC now owns 32,880 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,878,000 after acquiring an additional 6,399 shares during the period. Clear Rock Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Clear Rock Advisors LLC now owns 51,122 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,921,000 after purchasing an additional 903 shares during the period. Railway Pension Investments Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Railway Pension Investments Ltd now owns 1,286,710 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,510,000 after purchasing an additional 26,600 shares during the period. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the first quarter valued at about $69,000. Finally, Cetera Advisors LLC grew its stake in Kroger by 31.7% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC now owns 22,146 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,265,000 after purchasing an additional 5,330 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

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.