Brighton Jones LLC Raises Stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 1.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 16,035 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 302 shares during the quarter. Brighton Jones LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $1,085,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Sovereign Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $351,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter worth $223,000. Coordinated Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter worth $282,000. Principal Securities Inc. increased its position in Kroger by 20.9% in the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 7,415 shares of the company’s stock worth $453,000 after purchasing an additional 1,280 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mitchell Capital Management Co. bought a new stake in Kroger in the fourth quarter worth $5,870,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $66.03 on Tuesday. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $49.04 and a twelve month high of $73.63. The company’s 50 day moving average is $68.87 and its 200 day moving average is $65.08. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The company has a market cap of $43.64 billion, a PE ratio of 17.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.58.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

KR has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $73.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Kroger from $65.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, May 19th. Melius Research raised shares of Kroger from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Evercore ISI increased their price target on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $74.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Guggenheim increased their price objective on shares of Kroger from $71.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 3rd. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $68.06.

Insider Transactions at Kroger

In other news, EVP Christine S. Wheatley sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.07, for a total transaction of $2,162,100.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 97,737 shares in the company, valued at $7,043,905.59. This trade represents a 23.49% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Brian W. Nichols sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.03, for a total value of $72,030.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 10,473 shares in the company, valued at $754,370.19. The trade was a 8.72% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 138,638 shares of company stock valued at $9,632,165 in the last 90 days. 0.44% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.