Los Angeles Capital Management LLC Has $5.85 Million Stock Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Los Angeles Capital Management LLC cut its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 23.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 89,388 shares of the company’s stock after selling 26,660 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $5,849,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. raised its position in Kroger by 46.3% during the fourth quarter. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. now owns 23,715 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,482,000 after buying an additional 7,506 shares during the period. Weik Capital Management raised its position in Kroger by 58.2% during the fourth quarter. Weik Capital Management now owns 8,835 shares of the company’s stock valued at $552,000 after buying an additional 3,250 shares during the period. MCF Advisors LLC raised its position in Kroger by 82.0% during the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 1,896 shares of the company’s stock valued at $118,000 after buying an additional 854 shares during the period. OneAscent Financial Services LLC raised its position in Kroger by 11.8% during the fourth quarter. OneAscent Financial Services LLC now owns 6,296 shares of the company’s stock valued at $393,000 after buying an additional 666 shares during the period. Finally, Pinebridge Investments LLC acquired a new position in Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at $13,125,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $62.95 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $67.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $66.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.42. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $58.60 and a one year high of $76.58. The company has a market capitalization of $38.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.43.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Kroger’s payout ratio is 91.50%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 price target (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $75.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 4th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $74.73.

Kroger Company Profile

The Kroger Co (NYSE: KR) is one of the largest supermarket operators in the United States, offering a wide range of retail grocery and related services. Founded in Cincinnati in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, the company operates a portfolio of supermarket and multi-department store banners and provides customers with fresh foods, packaged groceries, deli and bakery items, meat and seafood, produce, and prepared foods. Kroger’s stores commonly include pharmacy services and fuel centers, positioning the company as a broad-based neighborhood retail destination for everyday needs.

In addition to traditional in-store retailing, Kroger manufactures and distributes a variety of private-label brands and operates its own food production and supply-chain facilities.