Kroger (NYSE:KR) Shares Acquired Rep. David Taylor

Representative David Taylor (R-Ohio) recently bought shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR). In a filing disclosed on April 03rd, the Representative disclosed that they had bought between $1,001 and $15,000 in Kroger stock on February 20th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “DAVID TAYLOR TRUST > SCHWAB JOINT BROKERAGE #1 (HOME GROWN)” account.

Representative David Taylor also recently made the following trade(s):

• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) on 3/27/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Parker-Hannifin (NYSE:PH) on 3/10/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) on 3/10/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Eaton (NYSE:ETN) on 3/10/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) on 3/10/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of AT&T (NYSE:T) on 3/10/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of J. M. Smucker (NYSE:SJM) on 2/20/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) on 2/10/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of J. M. Smucker (NYSE:SJM) on 2/10/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Installed Building Products (NYSE:IBP) on 2/5/2025.

Kroger Trading Down 5.2 %

NYSE:KR opened at $67.05 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $49.04 and a 1 year high of $71.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.54. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $64.99 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $60.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.74, a PEG ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.60.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 6th. The company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.09 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $34.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.96 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 1.85% and a return on equity of 27.73%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th will be issued a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.91%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 34.88%.

Kroger declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Wednesday, December 11th that allows the company to buyback $7.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to buy up to 16.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Bank of America boosted their price target on Kroger from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 20th. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on Kroger from $73.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Kroger from $62.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on shares of Kroger from $71.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Kroger from $70.00 to $73.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $66.50.

Institutional Trading of Kroger

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KR. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Kroger by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 82,223,697 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,027,979,000 after purchasing an additional 773,182 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 6.8% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 33,057,629 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,894,202,000 after purchasing an additional 2,110,681 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 16,436,688 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,002,479,000 after buying an additional 416,962 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 14,113,596 shares of the company’s stock worth $863,060,000 after buying an additional 120,250 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter worth $598,390,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Kroger

In related news, SVP Kenneth C. Kimball sold 11,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.37, for a total value of $719,070.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 127,106 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,308,919.22. This trade represents a 7.96 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Brian W. Nichols sold 1,300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.71, for a total transaction of $86,723.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 12,090 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $806,523.90. This represents a 9.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 228,785 shares of company stock worth $15,393,666. 1.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Representative Taylor

David Taylor (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2025. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Taylor (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

David Taylor graduated from Amelia High School. Taylor earned degrees from Miami University (Ohio) and the University of Dayton School of Law. Taylor’s career experience includes working as an attorney and as a businessman at Sardinia Ready Mix, Inc.

Kroger Company Profile

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.