Kroger’s (KR) “Outperform” Rating Reaffirmed at Telsey Advisory Group

Kroger (NYSE:KR)‘s stock had its “outperform” rating restated by analysts at Telsey Advisory Group in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $73.00 price objective on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 12.19% from the company’s current price.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on KR. Citigroup boosted their target price on Kroger from $61.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Kroger from $65.00 to $71.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, May 19th. Melius upgraded shares of Kroger from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $70.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Roth Capital set a $58.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $68.06.

Kroger Price Performance

KR stock opened at $65.07 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $43.00 billion, a PE ratio of 17.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.58. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $68.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $64.94. Kroger has a one year low of $49.04 and a one year high of $73.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.54.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kroger

In related news, EVP Christine S. Wheatley sold 30,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.44, for a total value of $2,083,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 127,737 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,870,057.28. The trade was a 19.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Kenneth C. Kimball sold 11,000 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction on Friday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.37, for a total value of $719,070.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 127,106 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,308,919.22. This trade represents a 7.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 160,815 shares of company stock valued at $11,101,588 in the last quarter. 0.44% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Accent Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Kroger in the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. TCTC Holdings LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Transce3nd LLC bought a new stake in Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.