Everett Harris & Co. CA purchased a new position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 13,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $722,000.
A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in KR. Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Kroger during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Kroger during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new stake in Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Axiom Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger in the first quarter valued at about $31,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Kroger Stock Performance
Shares of KR opened at $56.69 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.79. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $58.60 and a two-hundred day moving average of $64.92. The stock has a market cap of $34.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.43. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $54.15 and a one year high of $76.58.
Kroger Increases Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th will be given a $0.39 dividend. This is an increase from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Kroger’s payout ratio is currently 82.35%.
Key Kroger News
Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Kroger appointed former Jet.com and Walmart executive Nate Faust as its first chief e-commerce officer. His mandate includes simplifying the digital business, improving supply-chain efficiency and strengthening online grocery fulfillment—initiatives that could improve growth and margins over time. What Could Kroger Gain From Its New Ecommerce Chief And Texas Fresh Push?
- Positive Sentiment: BrightFarms expanded locally grown greenhouse greens into more than 1,000 Kroger stores in the Dallas area, giving the company additional fresh-produce offerings and a potential way to attract shoppers. Kroger is also planning a new Marketplace store in Northern Kentucky. Kroger Marketplace coming to NKY amid Publix threat
- Neutral Sentiment: Kroger said it will hold its second-quarter 2026 earnings call on September 11. The announcement provides a date for investors to assess sales trends, traffic, e-commerce progress and the company’s outlook, but contains no new financial information. Kroger Announces Second Quarter Conference Call with Investors
- Negative Sentiment: Reports indicate Kroger has closed at least 39 stores across nine banners and plans to shutter 60 locations as part of a nationwide overhaul. Closures may reduce near-term sales and highlight pressure on underperforming stores, even if they eventually lower costs. Major Supermarket Chain Closures
- Negative Sentiment: Kroger’s customer traffic reportedly ranked 13th among 16 retailers in July and has been declining, raising concerns about market-share losses to Walmart, Publix and other competitors. Analysts and industry observers also described the company’s e-commerce operation as overly complex, increasing execution risk for the new digital chief. Kroger’s traffic has been declining
- Negative Sentiment: A recall involving products sold at Kroger and other retailers over a salmonella outbreak adds a potential reputational and operational risk, although the reported information does not quantify any financial impact. Kroger Products Recalled Over Salmonella Outbreak
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
KR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $80.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $72.00.
Read Our Latest Report on Kroger
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.
Further Reading
- Five stocks we like better than Kroger
- Sony and TSMC’s $4.7 Billion Venture Is About More Than Camera Sensors
- Quantum Leaps: Debt-Free as AI Storage Demand Accelerates
- NVIDIA’s $500 Billion GPU Financing Deal Fuels Path Toward $270
- Sandisk’s Margins Look Like Software. Can They Last?
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding KR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Kroger Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kroger and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
