Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC Has $32.72 Million Stock Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 18.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 489,266 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 75,902 shares during the quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC owned about 0.07% of Kroger worth $32,722,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Florida Trust Wealth Management Co lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 50.4% in the third quarter. Florida Trust Wealth Management Co now owns 18,392 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,240,000 after purchasing an additional 6,162 shares in the last quarter. Quantum Portfolio Management LLC boosted its position in Kroger by 58.1% during the 3rd quarter. Quantum Portfolio Management LLC now owns 31,511 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,124,000 after acquiring an additional 11,584 shares during the last quarter. Oak Ridge Investments LLC grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 18.6% during the 3rd quarter. Oak Ridge Investments LLC now owns 3,919 shares of the company’s stock worth $264,000 after acquiring an additional 614 shares in the last quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the third quarter valued at approximately $403,000. Finally, Maryland State Retirement & Pension System boosted its holdings in Kroger by 4.1% during the third quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 30,678 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,068,000 after purchasing an additional 1,204 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Price Performance

NYSE:KR opened at $63.51 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $40.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 58.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.61. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $63.65 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $66.85. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $58.15 and a one year high of $74.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.45.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $33.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.27 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.54% and a return on equity of 38.06%. Kroger’s revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.98 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. Equities analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have commented on KR shares. Barclays set a $68.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $70.00 price objective (down previously from $78.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $67.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $73.88.

Kroger 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.