339,313 Shares in The Kroger Co. $KR Bought by CSM Advisors LLC

CSM Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 339,313 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $24,342,000. CSM Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.05% of Kroger at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KR. Accent Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth about $25,000. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. raised its stake in Kroger by 6,840.0% during the second quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 347 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 342 shares in the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new position in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Rossby Financial LCC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 10,425.0% in the 2nd quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 421 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 417 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Stock Up 2.3%

KR stock opened at $64.89 on Friday. 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. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $66.79 and its 200 day simple moving average is $68.85. The Kroger Co. has a fifty-two week low of $57.08 and a fifty-two week high of $74.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.85.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, September 11th. The company reported $1.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.00 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $33.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.08 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 1.86% and a return on equity of 32.62%. Kroger’s quarterly revenue was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.93 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.700-4.800 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on KR shares. Wall Street Zen cut Kroger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, October 26th. Argus set a $85.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, September 18th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, September 12th. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, July 21st. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $75.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $82.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, September 11th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $74.50.

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.