Kroger price target raised to $50 from $45 at Jefferies

Jefferies analyst Rob Dickerson raised the firm’s price target on Kroger (KR) to $50 from $45 and keeps a Hold rating on the shares after having hosted an investor meeting with CFO Gary Millerchip and CIO Yael Cosset. After discussing "the why now" regarding the Albertsons (ACI) transaction with the management team, Dickerson said he likes the accretion potential of the deal, but remains sidelined on Kroger shares given the probability he sees of base near-term growth deceleration.