Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. boosted its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR – Free Report) by 136.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 22,274 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 12,865 shares during the quarter. Roman Butler Fullerton & Co.’s holdings in Kroger were worth $1,404,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of KR. SGL Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Kroger in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,764,000. Amundi raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 18.3% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 3,942,230 shares of the company’s stock valued at $218,912,000 after buying an additional 610,039 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth $76,633,000. Quantitative Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,527,000. Finally, OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,141,000. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.
Insider Buying and Selling at Kroger
In other news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total value of $4,425,090.70. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 175,233 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,636,643.10. The trade was a 29.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of research firms recently issued reports on KR. Wells Fargo & Company set a $60.00 target price on Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Evercore set a $70.00 target price on Kroger in a report on Monday, September 14th. UBS Group set a $66.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, Melius Research set a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $70.35.
Kroger Trading Down 1.5%
KR opened at $65.78 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $38.85 billion, a PE ratio of 35.75 and a beta of 0.36. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $60.06 and its 200-day simple moving average is $63.50. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $54.15 and a 1 year high of $76.58.
Kroger (NYSE:KR – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $34.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.64 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.04 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.20 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Kroger Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 84.78%.
Trending Headlines about Kroger
Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Store expansion and new formats: Kroger plans to add 110 locations and introduce three store formats, including stores as large as 99,000 square feet. The rollout could support long-term sales growth and improve Kroger’s ability to tailor stores to local shopping needs. Kroger plans 3 new store formats as it adds 110 locations
- Positive Sentiment: E-commerce and fresh-food focus: Kroger outlined a “fresh, fast and personal” e-commerce strategy and is putting fresh products at the center of its store experience. These efforts may improve digital engagement, customer retention and higher-value grocery sales. Kroger Maps Fresh Fast and Personal Path to E-Commerce Transformation
- Positive Sentiment: Seasonal supplier activity: Edible Garden secured a Kroger holiday fresh-herb program covering Thanksgiving through New Year, reinforcing Kroger’s fresh-produce offering during a high-demand period. The deal is strategically positive, although its financial contribution to Kroger is likely modest. Edible Garden Secures Holiday Fresh Herb Program with Kroger
- Neutral Sentiment: Defensive investment case: Analysts continue to view Kroger as a relatively defensive dividend stock because grocery demand tends to remain steady across economic cycles. However, this is a general investment argument rather than a new company-specific catalyst. If the Stock Market Crashes in November, You’ll Rest Easy Knowing You Bought This Dividend Stock
- Negative Sentiment: Pricing pressure and retail challenges: Kroger is changing how it prices groceries, which may help protect customer traffic but could pressure margins if it requires broader price reductions. Reports about Smith’s store closures also highlight the difficult competitive environment facing grocery retailers. Walmart, Target, Kroger, and Wegmans are changing how they price groceries
About Kroger
The Kroger Co is a U.S. food and grocery retailer headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883, the company operates supermarkets under banners that include Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, King Soopers, Fry’s, Harris Teeter and Smith’s, among others.
Kroger’s business includes the sale of fresh food, groceries, general merchandise, household products and health and beauty items. Many of its stores also provide pharmacy services and fuel centers. The company offers digital shopping, pickup and delivery services, loyalty programs and a range of private-label products, including Simple Truth, Private Selection and Kroger-branded products.
Kroger primarily serves customers across the United States, with stores concentrated in the Midwest, South, West and parts of the Mid-Atlantic region.
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