Kroger (NYSE:KR) PT Raised to $59.00

Kroger (NYSE:KR) had its price target lifted by research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $58.00 to $59.00 in a report released on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s target price indicates a potential upside of 5.53% from the company’s current price.

A number of other analysts also recently commented on the stock. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on shares of Kroger from $62.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Argus increased their price objective on shares of Kroger from $70.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $62.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, September 9th. Finally, Wolfe Research raised shares of Kroger to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Kroger presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $59.09.

Kroger Trading Up 1.3 %

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $55.91 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $53.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $53.66. The company has a market cap of $40.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 0.47. Kroger has a fifty-two week low of $42.10 and a fifty-two week high of $58.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.86.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 12th. The company reported $0.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.02. Kroger had a net margin of 1.43% and a return on equity of 29.89%. The business had revenue of $33.91 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.09 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.96 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Kroger will post 4.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Brian W. Nichols sold 2,000 shares of Kroger 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 sale, the vice president now directly owns 18,063 shares in the company, valued at approximately $984,975.39. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of KR. Creekmur Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Kroger during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Kroger by 255.6% during the 1st quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 448 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 322 shares during the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 101.6% in the first quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 496 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Altshuler Shaham Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger in the second quarter valued at about $28,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.