Paradigm Asset Management Co. LLC Reduces Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Paradigm Asset Management Co. LLC decreased its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 79.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,400 shares of the company’s stock after selling 17,200 shares during the quarter. Paradigm Asset Management Co. LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $316,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Accent Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 6,840.0% in the second quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 347 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares during the period. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Rossby Financial LCC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 10,425.0% during the second quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 421 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 417 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kroger Trading Up 2.3%

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $64.89 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $66.79 and a two-hundred day moving average of $68.85. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $57.08 and a 12-month high of $74.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.85. The stock has a market cap of $43.00 billion, a PE ratio of 16.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.55.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 11th. The company reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.00 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $33.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.08 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 32.62% and a net margin of 1.86%.The company’s revenue was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.93 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.700-4.800 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 1st. Investors of record on Friday, November 14th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 14th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 35.53%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have issued reports on KR shares. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, July 21st. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $75.00 price objective on the stock. Evercore ISI dropped their price target on shares of Kroger from $82.00 to $80.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. Roth Mkm raised shares of Kroger from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $66.00 to $75.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $82.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, September 11th. Finally, Argus set a $85.00 target price on Kroger in a research report on Thursday, September 18th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.50.

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.