The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Holdings Increased by Sound Income Strategies LLC

Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 46.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 550 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 175 shares during the quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $37,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 18,045 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,103,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 2.0% during the first quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 8,049 shares of the company’s stock valued at $545,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares during the period. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 6,704 shares of the company’s stock valued at $410,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares during the period. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 7,834 shares of the company’s stock valued at $479,000 after acquiring an additional 166 shares during the period. Finally, Keybank National Association OH raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 23,410 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,432,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

KR has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Guggenheim boosted their price target on shares of Kroger from $71.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 3rd. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $73.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, June 13th. Evercore ISI cut their price target on shares of Kroger from $76.00 to $75.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Melius raised shares of Kroger from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $70.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Eight research 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’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Kroger presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $68.11.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $65.99 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $68.87 and a 200-day simple moving average of $65.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.13. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $49.04 and a 1-year high of $73.63. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.98, a PEG ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.58.

Insider Transactions at Kroger

In other news, SVP Valerie L. Jabbar sold 31,271 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.08, for a total value of $2,160,200.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 82,684 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,711,810.72. This represents a 27.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Brian W. Nichols sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.03, for a total transaction of $72,030.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 10,473 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $754,370.19. This represents a 8.72% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 122,679 shares of company stock worth $8,584,776. 0.44% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.