Aptus Capital Advisors LLC Acquires 7,078 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Aptus Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 87.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 15,142 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 7,078 shares during the quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $1,021,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. WESPAC Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 1.2% in the third quarter. WESPAC Advisors LLC now owns 13,585 shares of the company’s stock worth $916,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. WPG Advisers LLC boosted its position in Kroger by 16.8% in the 3rd quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 1,160 shares of the company’s stock valued at $78,000 after buying an additional 167 shares during the period. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its position in Kroger by 4.9% in the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 3,648 shares of the company’s stock valued at $262,000 after buying an additional 170 shares during the period. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas grew its stake in Kroger by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas now owns 18,846 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,270,000 after acquiring an additional 173 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Perigon Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Kroger by 1.8% during the third quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,869 shares of the company’s stock worth $665,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

KR has been the subject of several research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $70.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company lowered Kroger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $70.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $74.56.

Kroger Stock Down 0.9%

Kroger stock opened at $73.46 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.01, a PEG ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.62. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $58.60 and a 1-year high of $74.90. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $65.57 and a 200-day moving average price of $65.86.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The company had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.14 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is 91.50%.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger re-launches its large “Customer Appreciation Week” promotion (March 11–17), which should drive traffic and short-term same-store-sales and margin opportunities from exclusive deal drops. Kroger Brings Back Customer Appreciation Week with Special Savings
• Positive Sentiment: CEO-elect Rodney Foran is publicly bullish on Kroger’s prospects (“has all the ingredients to win”), signaling continuity on growth and merchandising execution that investors typically view as supportive for longer-term revenue and margin improvement. Kroger has ‘all the ingredients to win,’ new CEO Foran says
• Positive Sentiment: Market signals show bullish positioning: heavy call-option buying suggests some traders expect upside in the near term. Stock Traders Buy High Volume of Call Options on Kroger (NYSE:KR)
• Positive Sentiment: Roth MKM reiterated a “Buy” on KR, providing analyst-level support that can counterbalance neutral/negative takes. Kroger’s (KR) “Buy” Rating Reiterated at Roth Mkm
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target from $68 to $71 but kept a “Neutral” rating — a modest upward revision that still sits below Kroger’s current price, signaling limited immediate upside from this update. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Sen. John Boozman purchased Kroger shares — a small, non-company insider signal that may draw attention but is unlikely to move fundamentals. Sen. John Boozman Purchases Shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)
• Negative Sentiment: Supermarket News highlights concerns that working conditions could worsen under the new CEO — labor tensions or morale issues raise the risk of higher costs, union friction or operational disruptions. SN top 10: Will working conditions worsen at Kroger under new CEO?
• Negative Sentiment: A report links a popular frozen chicken sold at Kroger (and Trader Joe’s) to possible glass contamination — a product-safety story that can prompt recalls, erode consumer trust and hit near-term sales and costs if confirmed. This popular frozen chicken from Trader Joe’s and Kroger may have glass in it

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.