AIA Group Ltd Grows Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

AIA Group Ltd increased its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 141.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 109,563 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 64,162 shares during the period. AIA Group Ltd’s holdings in Kroger were worth $7,386,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Avalon Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its position in Kroger by 87.8% during the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 445 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 208 shares in the last quarter. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Kroger during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Kroger by 100.0% during the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 490 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 245 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Stock Down 1.2%

KR stock opened at $73.26 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $46.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.88, a P/E/G ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.80. The business’s 50-day moving average is $67.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $66.14. The Kroger Co. has a fifty-two week low of $58.60 and a fifty-two week high of $76.58.

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

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 91.50%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KR has been the topic of several analyst reports. Citigroup boosted their target price on Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $70.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $70.00 price target (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Evercore set a $77.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.56.

Kroger Company 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.