MayTech Global Investments LLC Decreases Stock Holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

MayTech Global Investments LLC lowered its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 3.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,688 shares of the company’s stock after selling 312 shares during the period. Kroger makes up about 0.1% of MayTech Global Investments LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest position. MayTech Global Investments LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $441,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in Kroger by 5.6% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 13,591,402 shares of the company’s stock valued at $678,562,000 after buying an additional 723,771 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 13.4% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 7,759,992 shares of the company’s stock valued at $387,456,000 after acquiring an additional 917,923 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. raised its position in shares of Kroger by 96.6% in the 2nd quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 5,381,311 shares of the company’s stock valued at $268,689,000 after purchasing an additional 2,643,811 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Kroger by 8.4% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 5,279,429 shares of the company’s stock worth $261,543,000 after purchasing an additional 407,690 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Kroger by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,890,887 shares of the company’s stock worth $280,248,000 after purchasing an additional 53,006 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $60.52 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.84, a PEG ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.48. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $57.19 and its 200-day simple moving average is $54.33. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $42.97 and a 12 month high of $61.18.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 12th. The company reported $0.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.91 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $33.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.09 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 1.86% and a return on equity of 28.54%. The firm’s revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.96 earnings per share. Analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 4.46 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Investors of record on Friday, November 15th will be issued a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 15th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.12%. Kroger’s payout ratio is 33.51%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on KR. Guggenheim raised their price target on shares of Kroger from $61.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Kroger from $57.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, September 13th. Melius Research assumed coverage on Kroger in a report on Monday, September 23rd. They issued a “hold” rating and a $55.00 price objective on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded Kroger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 16th. Finally, BNP Paribas assumed coverage on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, October 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $56.00 price target on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $60.55.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Carin L. Fike sold 3,010 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.57, for a total value 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 trade represents a 5.95 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, VP Brian W. Nichols sold 6,922 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.80, for a total transaction of $386,247.60. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 14,063 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $784,715.40. This trade represents a 32.99 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 12,932 shares of company stock worth $721,243. 1.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.