The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) SVP Sells $719,070.00 in Stock

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) SVP Kenneth C. Kimball sold 11,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.37, for a total transaction of $719,070.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 127,106 shares in the company, valued at $8,308,919.22. This represents a 7.96 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Kroger Stock Performance

NYSE KR traded down $0.49 on Monday, hitting $64.91. 651,456 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,939,993. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.17, a PEG ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.51. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $49.04 and a 12 month high of $68.51. The business’s fifty day moving average is $63.37 and its two-hundred day moving average is $59.95.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 6th. The company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.09 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $34.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.96 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 1.85% and a return on equity of 27.73%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Wednesday, December 11th that authorizes the company to buyback $7.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 16.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th will be given a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.97%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 15th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.88%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Kroger from $71.00 to $72.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $70.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Kroger from $60.00 to $63.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Kroger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $66.88.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Millstone Evans Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. TCTC Holdings LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Transce3nd LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

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.