Kroger (NYSE:KR) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Telsey Advisory Group Analyst Says

Kroger (NYSE:KR) had its price target lifted by Telsey Advisory Group from $62.00 to $65.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 7.28% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on KR. Guggenheim upped their price target on shares of Kroger from $61.00 to $63.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Kroger from $57.00 to $58.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, September 13th. Melius Research assumed coverage on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. They set a “hold” rating and a $55.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com lowered shares of Kroger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Kroger from $58.00 to $59.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, September 13th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $60.55.

Kroger Stock Up 0.8 %

KR stock opened at $60.59 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $57.07 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $54.29. The firm has a market cap of $43.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.86, a PEG ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.46. Kroger has a 1-year low of $42.97 and a 1-year high of $60.70.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 12th. The company reported $0.93 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.91 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $33.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.09 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 1.86% and a return on equity of 28.54%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.96 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Kroger will post 4.46 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Carin L. Fike sold 3,010 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.57, for a total value of $167,265.70. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 47,593 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,644,743.01. This represents a 5.95 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Valerie L. Jabbar sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.91, for a total value of $167,730.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 74,084 shares in the company, valued at $4,142,036.44. This represents a 3.89 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 12,932 shares of company stock worth $721,243. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kroger

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Tri Ri Asset Management Corp bought a new stake in Kroger during the third quarter worth approximately $4,037,000. Synovus Financial Corp boosted its position in Kroger by 3.7% during the third quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 10,797 shares of the company’s stock worth $619,000 after purchasing an additional 390 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC boosted its position in Kroger by 1.2% during the third quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 59,176 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,391,000 after purchasing an additional 698 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in Kroger during the third quarter worth approximately $95,000. Finally, World Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Kroger during the third quarter worth approximately $566,000. Institutional investors own 80.93% 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.