MML Investors Services LLC increased its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR – Get Rating) by 26.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 48,737 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 10,284 shares during the period. MML Investors Services LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $2,132,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. United Capital Financial Advisers LLC raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. United Capital Financial Advisers LLC now owns 11,571 shares of the company’s stock worth $664,000 after purchasing an additional 221 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 9.0% in the 3rd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,687 shares of the company’s stock valued at $117,000 after acquiring an additional 222 shares in the last quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,693 shares of the company’s stock valued at $384,000 after acquiring an additional 222 shares in the last quarter. Costello Asset Management INC raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. Costello Asset Management INC now owns 10,225 shares of the company’s stock valued at $447,000 after acquiring an additional 225 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Glassman Wealth Services raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 15.7% in the 2nd quarter. Glassman Wealth Services now owns 1,705 shares of the company’s stock valued at $81,000 after acquiring an additional 231 shares in the last quarter. 78.03% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Kroger Price Performance
NYSE:KR opened at $43.41 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $44.77 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $46.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.49. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $41.81 and a 12-month high of $62.78.
Kroger Announces Dividend
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 15th will be given a $0.26 dividend. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.40%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 14th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 32.50%.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In related news, SVP Mary Ellen Adcock sold 43,000 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.27, for a total transaction of $1,903,610.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 135,611 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,003,498.97. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, SVP Mary Ellen Adcock sold 43,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.27, for a total transaction of $1,903,610.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 135,611 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,003,498.97. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Carin L. Fike sold 5,779 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.72, for a total value of $275,773.88. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 5,320 shares in the company, valued at $253,870.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.35% of the company’s stock.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several analysts have recently weighed in on KR shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on Kroger from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 29th. StockNews.com upgraded Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. UBS Group cut their target price on Kroger from $57.00 to $54.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Kroger from $47.00 to $42.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 4th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Kroger from $45.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Monday, December 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $54.75.
About Kroger
The Kroger Co engages in the operation of supermarkets and multi-department stores. Its brands include Big K, Check This Out?, Heritage Farm, Simple Truth, and Simple Truth Organic. The company was founded by Barney Kroger in 1883 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH.
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