Portfolio Design Labs LLC Purchases Shares of 9,975 The Kroger Co. $KR

Posted by Brian Himes on Aug 21st, 2026

Portfolio Design Labs LLC purchased a new position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 9,975 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $554,000.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Kroger by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,169,425 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,821,546,000 after purchasing an additional 868,529 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Kroger in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,016,956,000. State Street Corp grew its position in Kroger by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 31,948,112 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,153,622,000 after purchasing an additional 386,503 shares during the last quarter. GQG Partners LLC grew its position in Kroger by 11.3% during the 4th quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 13,398,072 shares of the company’s stock worth $837,113,000 after purchasing an additional 1,360,946 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in Kroger by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 12,296,026 shares of the company’s stock valued at $889,878,000 after purchasing an additional 53,625 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on KR shares. UBS Group set a $63.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Citigroup reduced their target price on Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 20th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Kroger presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $72.00.

Read Our Latest Analysis on KR

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

Positive Sentiment: Bitcoin gift-card expansion: Kroger is rolling out its Fold Bitcoin Gift Card nationwide after a successful seasonal pilot. The initiative could attract new customers and generate incremental engagement, although the financial impact is likely limited initially. Kroger Expands Fold Bitcoin Gift Card Offering After Successful Pilot
Positive Sentiment: Potentially attractive shareholder returns: Coverage highlights Kroger’s dividend and describes the shares as reasonably valued following recent weakness. Analysts’ average rating remains equivalent to a Buy, which may provide some support for the stock. Kroger Stock Looks Reasonable
Positive Sentiment: E-commerce leadership change: The appointment of Nate Faust to lead Kroger’s e-commerce operations is viewed as a possible catalyst for improved efficiency and digital execution. Kroger Stock Looks Reasonable
Neutral Sentiment: Kroger is investing in remodeled stores, while also participating in food-bank and community initiatives. These developments may support customer loyalty and local brand perception but are unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Kroger to Unveil Remodeled Store
Negative Sentiment: Store closures and traffic concerns: Reports that Kroger plans to close 60 stores in 2026, alongside polling indicating traffic weakness, reinforce concerns about sales momentum and the company’s retail footprint. Kroger to Shutter 60 Stores Kroger Traffic Woes Reflect the Market
Negative Sentiment: Legal and product risks: Kroger faces a proposed $17 million settlement involving Dillons pharmacy customers, while a separate disability-discrimination case was settled for $75,000. A jalapeño-related salmonella recall involving products sold at Kroger also creates reputational and potential liability risk, though the $75,000 payment is financially immaterial. Proposed Kroger Settlement Jalapeño Salmonella Recall

Kroger Stock Up 0.2%

KR stock opened at $56.37 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $34.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.43. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $54.15 and a 12 month high of $76.58. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $58.02 and its 200-day simple moving average is $64.76. 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 earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. 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. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be issued a $0.39 dividend. This is a boost from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. Kroger’s payout ratio is presently 91.76%.

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.