The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Shares Sold by Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd.

Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. cut its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 2.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 19,827 shares of the company’s stock after selling 511 shares during the period. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Kroger were worth $1,136,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KR. Altshuler Shaham Ltd purchased a new stake in Kroger in the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Kroger in the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in Kroger by 218.8% in the second quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 714 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 490 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in Kroger in the third quarter valued at approximately $43,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Brian W. Nichols sold 6,922 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.80, for a total value of $386,247.60. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 14,063 shares in the company, valued at approximately $784,715.40. This represents a 32.99 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Carin L. Fike sold 3,010 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.57, for a total transaction of $167,265.70. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 47,593 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,644,743.01. This trade represents a 5.95 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 12,932 shares of company stock valued at $721,243. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Stock Down 1.2 %

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $58.04 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $42.10 and a 52-week high of $60.35. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $56.28 and a 200-day moving average of $54.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $41.99 billion, a PE ratio of 15.19, a P/E/G ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 12th. The company reported $0.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 analysts’ expectations of $34.09 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.96 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 4.46 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Investors of record on Friday, November 15th will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 15th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.21%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.51%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on KR shares. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Kroger from $57.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, September 13th. Melius Research started coverage on Kroger in a research report on Monday, September 23rd. They set a “hold” rating and a $55.00 price objective on the stock. BNP Paribas started coverage on Kroger in a research report on Friday, October 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $56.00 price objective on the stock. Argus boosted their target price on shares of Kroger from $70.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Kroger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $60.09.

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.