The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Shares Sold by Hosking Partners LLP

Hosking Partners LLP lowered its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 0.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 253,111 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,414 shares during the quarter. Hosking Partners LLP’s holdings in Kroger were worth $17,133,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of KR. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 27.3% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,733 shares of the company’s stock valued at $962,000 after buying an additional 3,373 shares during the period. Trexquant Investment LP acquired a new position in Kroger in the 4th quarter worth $801,000. Bank of Nova Scotia lifted its holdings in Kroger by 82.9% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 170,639 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,435,000 after buying an additional 77,361 shares in the last quarter. Scotia Capital Inc. acquired a new position in Kroger in the 4th quarter worth $216,000. Finally, Capital Fund Management S.A. lifted its holdings in Kroger by 43.2% in the 4th quarter. Capital Fund Management S.A. now owns 173,331 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,599,000 after buying an additional 52,290 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $74.22 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92. The Kroger Co. has a fifty-two week low of $50.69 and a fifty-two week high of $74.69. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $69.94 and a 200 day simple moving average of $67.85. The company has a market cap of $49.05 billion, a PE ratio of 20.22, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.59.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, June 20th. The company reported $1.49 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.04. Kroger had a net margin of 1.89% and a return on equity of 34.71%. The business had revenue of $45.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.35 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.43 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This is a positive change from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.88%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KR has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Melius Research upgraded shares of Kroger from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. Morgan Stanley set a $76.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, June 23rd. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, July 21st. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $75.00 price objective on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group set a $83.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 23rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Kroger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 2nd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.16.

Insider Activity

In other Kroger news, Director Clyde R. Moore sold 26,814 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.50, for a total transaction of $1,890,387.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 99,143 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,989,581.50. The trade was a 21.29% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Carin L. Fike sold 16,475 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.79, for a total transaction of $1,215,690.25. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 49,360 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,642,274.40. The trade was a 25.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 198,948 shares of company stock worth $14,422,926 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.44% of the company’s stock.

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.