One Wealth Advisors LLC cut its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR – Get Rating) by 33.9% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,560 shares of the company's stock after selling 3,882 shares during the quarter. One Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Kroger were worth $358,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Kentucky Retirement Systems lifted its holdings in Kroger by 3.4% during the 1st quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems now owns 42,648 shares of the company's stock worth $2,447,000 after buying an additional 1,386 shares in the last quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund boosted its holdings in Kroger by 9.3% in the first quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund now owns 19,749 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,133,000 after purchasing an additional 1,680 shares during the period. Ingalls & Snyder LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger during the 1st quarter worth about $246,000. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich grew its position in shares of Kroger by 144.2% during the first quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 3,859 shares of the company's stock worth $221,000 after buying an additional 2,279 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Swiss National Bank lifted its stake in Kroger by 13.4% in the first quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 3,059,790 shares of the company's stock worth $175,540,000 after acquiring an additional 361,600 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.05% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Kroger

In related news, VP Carin L. Fike sold 5,779 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.72, for a total transaction of $275,773.88. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 5,320 shares of the company's stock, valued at $253,870.40. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.35% of the company's stock.

Kroger Price Performance

Kroger (NYSE:KR – Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, December 1st. The company reported $0.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.81 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $34.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $33.92 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 31.92% and a net margin of 1.61%. Kroger's revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.78 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 4.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 15th were paid a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.23%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 14th. Kroger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.50%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on KR shares. Oppenheimer decreased their price objective on shares of Kroger to $51.00 in a research report on Tuesday, September 6th. MKM Partners decreased their target price on Kroger from $50.00 to $47.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Credit Suisse Group reduced their price objective on shares of Kroger from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, September 8th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Kroger from $43.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, BNP Paribas raised Kroger from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $51.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, October 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $53.39.

About Kroger

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The Kroger Co operates as a 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.

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