Kroger (NYSE:KR) Upgraded at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft

Kroger (NYSE:KR) was upgraded by Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Thursday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage currently has a $75.00 target price on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft’s target price indicates a potential upside of 26.60% from the company’s current price.

KR has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Barclays set a $68.00 target price on Kroger in a report on Thursday. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $80.00 target price (down from $82.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Roth Capital raised shares of Kroger from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Evercore ISI set a $77.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $70.00 price objective (down from $78.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $74.19.

Kroger Trading Down 4.0%

KR opened at $59.24 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $37.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.85, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.61. Kroger has a one year low of $58.12 and a one year high of $74.90. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $64.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $67.49. 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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $33.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.27 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 38.06% and a net margin of 0.54%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.98 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. Analysts predict that Kroger will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kroger

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in KR. Bank of Nova Scotia raised its stake in Kroger by 102.5% during the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 168,395 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,079,000 after purchasing an additional 85,223 shares during the period. Monument Capital Management purchased a new position in Kroger in the second quarter worth approximately $2,901,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd increased its stake in Kroger by 2,313.4% during the second quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 138,915 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,964,000 after acquiring an additional 133,159 shares during the last quarter. Advocate Group LLC raised its position in Kroger by 16.6% in the second quarter. Advocate Group LLC now owns 121,392 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,707,000 after purchasing an additional 17,284 shares during the period. Finally, AdvisorShares Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at $480,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.