FinArc Investments Inc. Makes New Investment in The Kroger Co. $KR

Posted by Brenda Bartman on Jul 31st, 2026

FinArc Investments Inc. bought a new stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR – Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 36,148 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,616,000. Kroger makes up about 2.5% of FinArc Investments Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Kroger by 27.3% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,733 shares of the company’s stock worth $962,000 after acquiring an additional 3,373 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP grew its position in shares of Kroger by 40.7% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 56,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,807,000 after acquiring an additional 16,270 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 2nd quarter valued at about $201,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Kroger by 11.5% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 97,288 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,978,000 after purchasing an additional 10,051 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC acquired a new position in Kroger in the 2nd quarter worth about $1,840,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on KR shares. Weiss Ratings downgraded Kroger from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Erste Group Bank downgraded Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, June 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, Barclays set a $61.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $72.00.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on KR

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

Positive Sentiment: Kroger is expanding its store footprint, including a planned replacement store in Dunwoody, Georgia, and a roughly $40 million location in Little Elm, Texas. These investments could support long-term sales growth and market share. Dunwoody approves new Kroger store Kroger spends $40 million on new Little Elm store
Positive Sentiment: A grocery price study ranked Kroger ahead of Walmart, Aldi and Albertsons, potentially reinforcing its value proposition as consumers remain price-sensitive. Kroger tops grocery price study
Positive Sentiment: The company introduced an AI shopping assistant for meal planning, which could improve personalization, digital engagement and customer retention. Kroger debuts AI shopping assistant
Neutral Sentiment: Broader investor interest is moving toward natural and health-focused food retailers, including Sprouts Farmers Market, United Natural Foods and Simply Good Foods. The trend may benefit grocery demand generally, but no specific Kroger earnings impact was reported. Natural foods stocks gain
Negative Sentiment: A consumer group cited approximately 1,700 complaints alleging pricing discrepancies at Kroger stores. If substantiated, the issue could create reputational, regulatory and margin risks. Consumer group pricing discrepancy claims
Negative Sentiment: Costco’s highly competitive, membership-driven gasoline model highlights pressure on traditional grocers’ fuel-loyalty programs and customer economics. This is an industry competitive concern rather than a direct Kroger announcement. How Costco engineered the perfect gas station

Kroger Stock Performance

NYSE KR opened at $57.97 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $35.52 billion, a PE ratio of 34.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.44. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $60.06 and its 200-day simple moving average is $65.38. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $54.15 and a 1-year high of $76.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.39.

Kroger (NYSE:KR – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The firm had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.49 earnings per share. The business’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, equities research analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 2.7%. This is a positive change from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 82.35%.

Kroger Company Profile

(Free Report)

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.