Fulcrum Asset Management LLP bought a new position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 128,703 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,196,000. Kroger accounts for about 0.7% of Fulcrum Asset Management LLP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest position.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of Kroger by 27.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,733 shares of the company’s stock valued at $962,000 after buying an additional 3,373 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP raised its position in shares of Kroger by 40.7% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 56,243 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,807,000 after acquiring an additional 16,270 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the second quarter worth approximately $201,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Kroger by 11.5% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 97,288 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,978,000 after acquiring an additional 10,051 shares during the period. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC bought a new stake in Kroger in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,840,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $80.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Kroger from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and set a $71.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $72.00.
Key Kroger News
Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Kroger announced its 2026 Wellness Tour, with September in-store and community events intended to increase customer engagement and reinforce the company’s health-and-wellness offerings. The initiative is strategically positive, though its near-term financial impact is likely limited. Kroger Wellness Tour announcement
- Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity, with purchases more than double the typical daily volume, suggests increased bullish speculative interest. However, options activity does not guarantee sustained buying in the stock.
- Neutral Sentiment: Murray’s Cheese, a Kroger brand, expanded its premium cave-aged collection to select Harris Teeter stores in Charlotte. The launch supports product differentiation and potentially higher-margin sales but is unlikely to materially affect companywide results. Murray’s Cheese Harris Teeter launch
- Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s recent earnings showed revenue growth and earnings ahead of the prior-year period, but earnings per share narrowly missed estimates. Management’s fiscal-year EPS guidance remains a key factor for investors assessing whether the current valuation is justified.
- Negative Sentiment: Industry data indicated Kroger’s foot traffic declined in July as the broader supermarket sector also struggled. Persistent traffic weakness could pressure comparable sales and raise concerns about consumer demand. Kroger July foot traffic report
- Negative Sentiment: Kroger agreed to pay $17 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging prescription-drug pricing practices. The cash cost is manageable relative to Kroger’s size, but the settlement adds legal expense and reputational risk. Kroger prescription pricing settlement
- Negative Sentiment: Sony Music sued Kroger over alleged unauthorized use of songs in social-media advertising, creating another potential legal liability. The financial impact is uncertain, but the lawsuit adds to investor concerns following the pharmacy settlement. Sony Music lawsuit against Kroger
Kroger Trading Up 1.4%
NYSE KR opened at $57.73 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $35.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.96, a P/E/G ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.43. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $57.63 and a 200 day simple moving average of $64.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.39. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $54.15 and a one year high of $76.58.
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 the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.49 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. Research analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current year.
Kroger Increases Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. This is an increase from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Kroger’s payout ratio is presently 91.76%.
Kroger 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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