71 West Capital Partners Takes $508,000 Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

71 West Capital Partners acquired a new position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund acquired 8,136 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $508,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 4.5% during the fourth quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. now owns 3,537 shares of the company’s stock worth $221,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 10,747 shares of the company’s stock worth $674,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares during the last quarter. Stephens Inc. AR raised its holdings in Kroger by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 17,995 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,124,000 after buying an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC boosted its position in Kroger by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC now owns 5,348 shares of the company’s stock valued at $342,000 after buying an additional 188 shares during the period. Finally, Zions Bancorporation National Association UT raised its holdings in Kroger by 59.6% in the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 509 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More 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 Stock Performance

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $64.00 on Wednesday. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $58.60 and a one year high of $76.58. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $66.35 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $66.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.80. The company has a market capitalization of $39.21 billion, a PE ratio of 41.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.42.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on KR shares. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $75.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Erste Group Bank cut shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $74.67.

About Kroger

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.