Kroger (NYSE:KR) Earns Hold Rating from Analysts at Melius Research

Research analysts at Melius Research initiated coverage on shares of Kroger (NYSE:KR) in a research report issued on Monday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage set a “hold” rating and a $55.00 price target on the stock. Melius Research’s price target indicates a potential downside of 1.45% from the company’s previous close.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Evercore ISI raised their price target on shares of Kroger from $62.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, September 13th. BMO Capital Markets raised Kroger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price target for the company from $58.00 to $60.00 in a report on Tuesday, June 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Kroger from $58.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, September 13th. Argus upped their price target on Kroger from $70.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $62.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, September 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.36.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:KR traded up $0.42 on Monday, hitting $55.81. 1,057,014 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,983,017. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $53.66 and its 200 day moving average price is $53.89. Kroger has a 1-year low of $42.10 and a 1-year high of $58.34. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 0.47.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 12th. The company reported $0.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.91 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $33.91 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.09 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 1.43% and a return on equity of 29.89%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.96 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Kroger will post 4.45 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Kroger news, VP Carin L. Fike sold 3,010 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.57, for a total value of $167,265.70. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 47,593 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,644,743.01. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In related news, VP Brian W. Nichols sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.53, for a total value of $109,060.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 18,063 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $984,975.39. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, VP Carin L. Fike sold 3,010 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.57, for a total value of $167,265.70. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 47,593 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,644,743.01. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Kroger

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new position in Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at about $252,000. Commerce Bank boosted its position in Kroger by 29.9% during the 4th quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 37,155 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,698,000 after purchasing an additional 8,557 shares during the period. TCW Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter worth about $477,000. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its position in Kroger by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 360,766 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,491,000 after purchasing an additional 10,524 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC increased its position in Kroger by 22.0% in the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 17,170 shares of the company’s stock valued at $785,000 after acquiring an additional 3,095 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kroger Company 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.