The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Shares Acquired by Vista Investment Partners LLC

Vista Investment Partners LLC raised its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 1.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 68,787 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 855 shares during the period. Vista Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $3,435,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Creekmur Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Kroger by 255.6% in the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 448 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 322 shares during the last quarter. SouthState Corp boosted its stake in Kroger by 334.3% in the fourth quarter. SouthState Corp now owns 595 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 458 shares in the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Hexagon Capital Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Kroger by 101.6% during the first quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 496 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Price Performance

NYSE:KR traded up $0.30 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $53.19. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,874,806 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,012,219. The company has a market capitalization of $38.39 billion, a PE ratio of 18.15, a PEG ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.45. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $42.10 and a 52-week high of $58.34. The business’s 50-day moving average is $52.45 and its two-hundred day moving average is $52.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.86.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 20th. The company reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.33 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $45.27 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $44.86 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 1.43% and a return on equity of 29.89%. The business’s revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.51 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 4.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, August 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 15th. This is a boost from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.41%. Kroger’s payout ratio is currently 43.69%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Kroger news, VP Brian W. Nichols sold 2,000 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.53, for a total transaction of $109,060.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 18,063 shares in the company, valued at $984,975.39. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on the company. StockNews.com raised Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Kroger from $60.00 to $58.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, June 21st. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Kroger from $58.00 to $57.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 24th. Evercore ISI decreased their target price on shares of Kroger from $61.00 to $60.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 20th. Finally, Wolfe Research raised Kroger to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $58.64.

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.