The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Shares Sold by Intech Investment Management LLC

Intech Investment Management LLC lowered its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 14.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 483,016 shares of the company’s stock after selling 82,486 shares during the quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC owned about 0.07% of Kroger worth $27,677,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. increased its stake in Kroger by 5.2% in the third quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. now owns 1,669,819 shares of the company’s stock valued at $95,681,000 after purchasing an additional 83,258 shares during the last quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the third quarter worth $63,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 492.8% during the third quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 385,920 shares of the company’s stock worth $22,113,000 after purchasing an additional 320,816 shares during the period. Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the third quarter worth $3,826,000. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 4.7% during the third quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 205,421 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,771,000 after purchasing an additional 9,190 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kroger Price Performance

KR stock opened at $57.61 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $42.54 and a 52-week high of $60.35. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $56.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $54.17. The company has a market capitalization of $41.68 billion, a PE ratio of 15.08, a P/E/G ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.48.

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

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 15th will be issued a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 15th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.22%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.51%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on KR shares. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Kroger from $57.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, September 13th. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on Kroger from $62.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, September 13th. Melius Research assumed coverage on Kroger in a research report on Monday, September 23rd. They issued a “hold” rating and a $55.00 price objective for the company. BNP Paribas started coverage on Kroger in a research report on Friday, October 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $56.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and issued 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $60.09.

Insider Activity

In other Kroger news, VP Carin L. Fike sold 3,010 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 47,593 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,644,743.01. The trade was a 5.95 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Brian W. Nichols sold 6,922 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.80, for a total value of $386,247.60. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 14,063 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $784,715.40. This trade represents a 32.99 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 12,932 shares of company stock worth $721,243. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Kroger 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.