Uncommon Cents Investing LLC Trims Stock Position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

Uncommon Cents Investing LLC cut its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 1.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 171,365 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,290 shares during the quarter. Kroger comprises 2.6% of Uncommon Cents Investing LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 3rd biggest position. Uncommon Cents Investing LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $7,833,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. KB Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the third quarter worth about $25,000. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC raised its position in Kroger by 370.1% in the 3rd quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 496 shares during the last quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. lifted its stake in Kroger by 430.8% in the 3rd quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 637 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 517 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Kroger Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $57.11 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $49.74 and a 200 day simple moving average of $46.55. The company has a market capitalization of $41.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 0.81. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $42.10 and a 52-week high of $57.36.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 7th. The company reported $1.34 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.13 by $0.21. Kroger had a return on equity of 31.44% and a net margin of 1.44%. The company had revenue of $37.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $37.07 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.99 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 15th will be given a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 14th. Kroger’s payout ratio is presently 39.19%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on shares of Kroger from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Kroger from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 1st. Stephens reduced their price objective on shares of Kroger from $52.00 to $50.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 1st. TheStreet raised Kroger from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Kroger from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $42.00 to $50.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 27th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $54.64.

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.