Captrust Financial Advisors Has $173.87 Million Stock Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Captrust Financial Advisors lowered its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 0.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,782,775 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,074 shares during the quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors owned about 0.44% of Kroger worth $173,868,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of KR. &PARTNERS raised its stake in Kroger by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. &PARTNERS now owns 137,684 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,608,000 after purchasing an additional 4,868 shares in the last quarter. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH raised its stake in Kroger by 59.4% in the fourth quarter. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH now owns 14,051 shares of the company’s stock valued at $881,000 after purchasing an additional 5,235 shares in the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at about $50,000. L2 Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Kroger by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. L2 Asset Management LLC now owns 6,293 shares of the company’s stock valued at $393,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cynosure Group LLC acquired a new position in Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at about $410,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on KR. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Wall Street Zen raised Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.67.

Kroger Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $64.00 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The company has a market cap of $39.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.83, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.42. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $58.60 and a 12 month high of $76.58. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $66.35 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $66.51.

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and options traders are highlighting Kroger as a potential earnings play, with expectations for higher Q1 earnings and no major surprise likely to the outlook, which can support sentiment if the company confirms steady execution. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is also being mentioned in consumer-focused promotions and expansion news, including a national retail rollout for Avaline across Kroger divisions, which suggests continued relevance as a key grocery channel for brand partners. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Additional coverage around Kroger-owned Harris Teeter’s new “Aisle Adventures” shopping experience and holiday-style promotions points to efforts to drive shopper engagement and store traffic. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Oppenheimer said Kroger’s fiscal first-quarter results should come in largely in line with expectations, which may limit the stock’s upside unless the company delivers a clear beat or stronger guidance. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The Humane League escalated its national campaign against Kroger and Harris Teeter over delayed cage-free egg sourcing, adding reputational pressure and potentially increasing scrutiny of the company’s supply-chain commitments. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Separate consumer coverage around Kroger’s “controversial” price-tag technology and aggressive price cuts versus Walmart may raise concerns about margin pressure if the chain leans harder into price competition. Article Title

Kroger Company Profile

The Kroger Co (NYSE: KR) is one of the largest supermarket operators in the United States, offering a wide range of retail grocery and related services. Founded in Cincinnati in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, the company operates a portfolio of supermarket and multi-department store banners and provides customers with fresh foods, packaged groceries, deli and bakery items, meat and seafood, produce, and prepared foods. Kroger’s stores commonly include pharmacy services and fuel centers, positioning the company as a broad-based neighborhood retail destination for everyday needs.

In addition to traditional in-store retailing, Kroger manufactures and distributes a variety of private-label brands and operates its own food production and supply-chain facilities.