Optas LLC Makes New $206,000 Investment in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

Optas LLC purchased a new stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 3,593 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $206,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Mission Wealth Management LP purchased a new position in Kroger in the first quarter valued at about $212,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its stake in Kroger by 14.1% in the 1st quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 185,112 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,575,000 after purchasing an additional 22,946 shares in the last quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Kroger by 10.7% during the first quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 19,385 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,107,000 after purchasing an additional 1,878 shares during the last quarter. Choreo LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger during the first quarter worth $296,000. Finally, Graypoint LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger in the first quarter valued at $291,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Brian W. Nichols sold 6,922 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.80, for a total transaction of $386,247.60. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 14,063 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $784,715.40. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, SVP Valerie L. Jabbar sold 3,000 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction on Monday, September 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.91, for a total transaction of $167,730.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 74,084 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,142,036.44. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Brian W. Nichols sold 6,922 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.80, for a total transaction of $386,247.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 14,063 shares in the company, valued at $784,715.40. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 12,932 shares of company stock worth $721,243. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on KR shares. Melius Research started coverage on Kroger in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. They set a “hold” rating and a $55.00 price target for the company. BNP Paribas began coverage on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, October 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $56.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective 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. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $62.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Kroger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Kroger presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $60.09.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $56.57 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.93 billion, a PE ratio of 14.81, a P/E/G ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.48. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $42.10 and a 12 month high of $58.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.46. The business has a 50-day moving average of $55.23 and a two-hundred day moving average of $53.89.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 12th. The company reported $0.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.91 by $0.02. Kroger had a net margin of 1.86% and a return on equity of 28.54%. The company had revenue of $33.91 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.09 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.96 earnings per share. Kroger’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.26%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 15th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 33.51%.

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.