Aspire Private Capital LLC Has $1.09 Million Position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

Aspire Private Capital LLC grew its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 15.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 21,723 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,941 shares during the quarter. Aspire Private Capital LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $1,085,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Creekmur Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Kroger by 255.6% during the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 448 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 322 shares in the last quarter. SouthState Corp grew its position in Kroger by 334.3% during the fourth quarter. SouthState Corp now owns 595 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 458 shares in the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Hexagon Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Kroger by 101.6% during the first quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 496 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:KR traded down $0.68 on Monday, reaching $53.24. 2,631,908 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,037,414. The company has a fifty day moving average of $52.35 and a 200-day moving average of $52.59. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $42.10 and a twelve month high of $58.34. The company has a market capitalization of $38.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.40, a PEG ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 20th. The company reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.33 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $45.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $44.86 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 1.43% and a return on equity of 29.89%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.51 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 4.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be given a $1.28 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $5.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.62%. This is a positive change from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 43.69%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on KR. Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on Kroger from $61.00 to $60.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 20th. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Kroger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $58.00 to $60.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 18th. Argus lifted their target price on shares of Kroger from $70.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $62.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Kroger from $58.00 to $57.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Kroger currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $58.64.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kroger

In other news, VP Brian W. Nichols sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.53, for a total transaction of $109,060.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 18,063 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $984,975.39. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

About Kroger

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.