Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR – Free Report) during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm acquired 29,700 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,149,000.
Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of KR. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in Kroger by 61.1% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 33,367,551 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,249,307,000 after acquiring an additional 12,652,261 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at $470,561,000. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 299.6% in the 2nd quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 2,420,495 shares of the company’s stock valued at $173,622,000 after purchasing an additional 1,814,721 shares in the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 48.6% in the 4th quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 4,445,479 shares of the company’s stock worth $277,754,000 after purchasing an additional 1,453,966 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GQG Partners LLC grew its stake in Kroger by 11.3% during the fourth quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 13,398,072 shares of the company’s stock worth $837,113,000 after buying an additional 1,360,946 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.
Kroger News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Kroger is expanding its rewards program, giving shoppers new ways to redeem points for groceries and fuel. That could help boost customer loyalty, repeat visits, and basket sizes. Kroger Revamps Rewards Program: New Ways to Use Points for Groceries and Fuel
- Positive Sentiment: The company is also rolling out an exclusive celebrity product line and additional seasonal/holiday promotions, suggesting Kroger is trying to drive traffic and differentiate its stores beyond basic grocery price competition. Kroger rolls out exclusive celebrity line to win back shoppers
- Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage highlighted Kroger’s digital coupons and holiday merchandising, which reinforces its focus on value but does not materially change the near-term outlook.
- Negative Sentiment: Fresh price-target cuts are adding caution: Morgan Stanley recently kept an Equal Weight rating but lowered its target to $67 from $73, signaling more limited upside than before. Is The Kroger Co. (KR) One of the Best Stocks to Buy Now For Good Returns amid Price Target Cuts?
- Negative Sentiment: Kroger also faces an ongoing product recall warning involving chicken sold at Kroger and Fred Meyer that may contain an undeclared allergen, which can create reputational risk and a small headwind for sentiment. Check Your Freezer: Kroger and Fred Meyer Chicken May Contain Undeclared Allergen
Kroger Price Performance
Kroger (NYSE:KR – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The company had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.49 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.22 earnings per share for the current year.
Kroger Increases Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. This is a positive change from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Kroger’s payout ratio is 91.76%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several research analysts have recently commented on KR shares. Guggenheim set a $71.00 target price on Kroger and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. UBS Group set a $63.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 price objective on Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Erste Group Bank cut Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $71.94.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Kroger
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.
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