M&T Bank Corp Boosts Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

M&T Bank Corp lifted its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 219.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 196,200 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 134,769 shares during the quarter. M&T Bank Corp’s holdings in Kroger were worth $12,259,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Kroger by 268.1% in the 4th quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. Avalon Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Kroger by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 490 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 245 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its position in shares of Kroger by 253.9% in the 2nd quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 584 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 419 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Berkshire Hathaway vote of confidence — Warren Buffett’s firm has built Kroger into a multibillion-dollar holding, increasing the position since 2019; that continued institutional endorsement supports investor sentiment and valuation. Why Does Kroger (KR) Has Warren Buffett’s Confidence Since 2019?
• Positive Sentiment: Retail partnerships and assortment: Beyond Meat’s nationwide launch of its new Beyond Chicken Pieces at 2,000+ Kroger stores can drive incremental sales in plant‑based categories and strengthens Kroger’s center-store differentiation. Beyond Meat® Launches New Beyond Chicken® Pieces Spicy Buffalo at Kroger Stores Nationwide
• Positive Sentiment: Workforce and execution focus — Kroger earned recognition for career progression and launched Pearl Street Academy to improve retention and internal mobility; investors view this as lowering execution risk and supporting margins over time. Kroger Workforce Push And Valuation Gap Draw Investor Attention
• Neutral Sentiment: Promotions and marketing — Kroger’s “Online Deal Days” short-term sales event can boost near-term e‑commerce volume, but its impact on margins and sticky sales is uncertain. Kroger launches ‘Online Deal Days’ event with special discounts on groceries
• Neutral Sentiment: Local growth/planning items — A planning commission approved a Kroger + apartment project (mixed long‑term benefit via foot traffic, short‑term limited impact). Planning Commission approves Kroger, apartment building on 14 Mile Road
• Neutral Sentiment: Promotional tie‑ins — In‑store promotions (e.g., Hot Wheels collector campaign) and community volunteer programs are brand‑positive but unlikely to move fundamentals materially. Score A Hot Wheels Collector Edition 1991 GMC Syclone By Shopping At Kroger
• Negative Sentiment: Store closures and executive changes — Local reports of recent store closures and a notable shakeup in executive ranks can raise near‑term execution concerns and raise questions about growth cadence. Kroger made biggest shakeup in more than a decade in store count, executive officers over past year
• Negative Sentiment: Operational disruption — Isolated incidents such as a false bomb threat and evacuations are negative PR but have limited long‑term impact unless they recur at scale. Man charged after false bomb threat forces Kroger evacuation in Fountain City

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KR has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price target on Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Wall Street Zen raised Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered Kroger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $70.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their target price on Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 target price (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Kroger has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.56.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $69.13 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a fifty-two week low of $58.60 and a fifty-two week high of $76.58. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $70.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $66.82. 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 firm has a market cap of $42.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.55.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The business had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.14 EPS. Kroger’s revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. On average, analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Kroger’s payout ratio is currently 91.50%.

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.