The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Shares Bought by Anfield Capital Management LLC

Anfield Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 89,583.3% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 21,524 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 21,500 shares during the period. Anfield Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $1,457,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Accent Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Transce3nd LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Garde Capital Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth about $31,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 46.7% during the first quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 550 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zions Bancorporation National Association UT purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth about $41,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Price Performance

KR stock opened at $74.37 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $70.06 and a 200-day moving average of $68.09. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $50.69 and a 12-month high of $74.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92. The company has a market cap of $49.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.26, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.59.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, June 20th. The company reported $1.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.04. Kroger had a net margin of 1.89% and a return on equity of 34.71%. The company had revenue of $45.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.35 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.43 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. This is a positive change from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. Kroger’s payout ratio is 34.88%.

Insider Activity at Kroger

In other news, VP Carin L. Fike sold 16,475 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.79, for a total transaction of $1,215,690.25. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 49,360 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,642,274.40. This trade represents a 25.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Timothy A. Massa sold 8,415 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.00, for a total transaction of $622,710.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 118,761 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,788,314. The trade was a 6.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 198,948 shares of company stock worth $14,422,926. 0.44% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on KR shares. Barclays started coverage on Kroger in a report on Monday, July 21st. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $75.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Kroger from $72.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Guggenheim raised their price target on Kroger from $73.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 23rd. Evercore ISI lowered their price target on Kroger from $76.00 to $75.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 17th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $82.00 price target (up previously from $73.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, June 20th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Kroger currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.16.

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.