Integrated Advisors Network LLC Makes New $216,000 Investment in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

Integrated Advisors Network LLC purchased a new stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 3,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $216,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Altshuler Shaham Ltd bought a new position in Kroger in the second quarter valued at $28,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in Kroger by 218.8% during the second quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 714 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 490 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ORG Partners LLC acquired a new position in Kroger during the second quarter valued at approximately $42,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $56.57 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $40.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.47. The business’s 50 day moving average is $55.23 and its 200-day moving average is $53.91. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $42.10 and a 1-year high of $58.34.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 12th. The company reported $0.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.91 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $33.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.09 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 28.54% and a net margin of 1.86%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.96 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 4.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 15th will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 15th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.26%. Kroger’s payout ratio is presently 33.51%.

Insider Transactions at Kroger

In related news, VP Carin L. Fike sold 3,010 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.57, for a total value of $167,265.70. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 47,593 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,644,743.01. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, SVP Valerie L. Jabbar sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.91, for a total value of $167,730.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 74,084 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,142,036.44. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Carin L. Fike sold 3,010 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.57, for a total transaction of $167,265.70. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 47,593 shares in the company, valued at $2,644,743.01. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 12,932 shares of company stock valued at $721,243. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on KR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Kroger from $58.00 to $59.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, September 13th. Melius Research started coverage on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. They issued a “hold” rating and a $55.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com lowered shares of Kroger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Kroger from $57.00 to $58.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, September 13th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $62.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Kroger presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $60.09.

About Kroger

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.