Gabelli Funds LLC cut its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR – Free Report) by 36.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 128,900 shares of the company’s stock after selling 73,700 shares during the period. Gabelli Funds LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $9,327,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in KR. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 268.1% in the fourth quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Kroger during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new position in Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new stake in Kroger in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen lowered Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 20th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $78.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Kroger from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, June 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, UBS Group set a $63.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $72.00.
Kroger Stock Down 0.1%
Kroger stock opened at $56.81 on Monday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $60.85 and its 200 day moving average is $65.42. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $54.15 and a 12-month high of $76.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. The company has a market capitalization of $34.80 billion, a PE ratio of 33.42, a PEG ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.44.
Kroger (NYSE:KR – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.59 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.49 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Kroger Increases Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be given a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This is a positive change from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger’s payout ratio is currently 82.35%.
Kroger News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Kroger Health launched its new GLP-1 Complete Support Program, with dietitians providing guidance for patients using weight-management medications. This could strengthen Kroger’s health-services offering and create a new customer-engagement opportunity. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: A back-to-school hiring event is seeking to fill hundreds of store jobs across four states, signaling Kroger is still investing in store operations and labor coverage heading into a busy retail period. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s ongoing automation and robotics efforts in Columbus-area stores may support efficiency and long-term margin improvement. Article Title
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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