The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) SVP Sells $1,047,389.17 in Stock

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) SVP Gabriel Arreaga sold 15,959 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.63, for a total transaction of $1,047,389.17. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 89,085 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,846,648.55. This trade represents a 15.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Kroger Stock Performance

Kroger stock opened at $64.69 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $46.81 billion, a PE ratio of 17.11, a PEG ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $49.04 and a 1 year high of $68.51. The company’s 50-day moving average is $63.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $59.78.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 6th. The company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.09 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $34.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.96 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 1.85% and a return on equity of 27.73%. Equities analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.98%. Kroger’s payout ratio is currently 34.88%.

Kroger announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, December 11th that permits the company to repurchase $7.50 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to purchase up to 16.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $70.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Roth Capital set a $58.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $74.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Kroger from $62.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Guggenheim boosted their target price on Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $66.88.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. 111 Capital acquired a new stake in Kroger in the fourth quarter worth $591,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Kroger by 76.6% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 282,941 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,302,000 after buying an additional 122,680 shares during the period. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC lifted its holdings in Kroger by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 22,521 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,377,000 after acquiring an additional 432 shares in the last quarter. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at about $62,000. Finally, Comprehensive Money Management Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter worth about $320,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% 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.