Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC Sells 11,795 Shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC decreased its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 1.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 872,866 shares of the company’s stock after selling 11,795 shares during the quarter. Kroger makes up approximately 2.8% of Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC owned 0.13% of Kroger worth $59,084,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its position in Kroger by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 18,045 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,103,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares during the period. Rothschild Investment LLC increased its position in Kroger by 2.0% during the first quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 8,049 shares of the company’s stock worth $545,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares during the period. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC increased its position in Kroger by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 6,704 shares of the company’s stock worth $410,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares during the period. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC increased its position in Kroger by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 7,834 shares of the company’s stock worth $479,000 after acquiring an additional 166 shares during the period. Finally, Keybank National Association OH increased its holdings in Kroger by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 23,410 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,432,000 after buying an additional 167 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $66.03 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $68.87 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $65.08. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $49.04 and a 1 year high of $73.63. The company has a market capitalization of $43.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.47, a P/E/G ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.07.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kroger

In other Kroger news, SVP Gabriel Arreaga sold 15,959 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.63, for a total transaction of $1,047,389.17. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 89,085 shares in the company, valued at $5,846,648.55. This trade represents a 15.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Brian W. Nichols sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.03, for a total value of $72,030.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 10,473 shares in the company, valued at $754,370.19. The trade was a 8.72% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 138,638 shares of company stock valued at $9,632,165 in the last quarter. 0.44% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have issued reports on KR. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $73.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday. Melius raised shares of Kroger from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $70.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Kroger from $65.00 to $71.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, May 19th. Finally, Guggenheim boosted their target price on shares of Kroger from $71.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $68.06.

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.