Exchange Traded Concepts LLC Has $1.64 Million Stake in The Kroger Co. $KR

Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lowered its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 31.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 26,229 shares of the company’s stock after selling 12,115 shares during the quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $1,639,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of KR. Avalon Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Kroger in the second quarter worth approximately $33,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Kroger by 100.0% in the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 490 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 245 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Kroger in the second quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Trading Down 2.5%

NYSE KR opened at $70.54 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The Kroger Co. has a 52 week low of $58.60 and a 52 week high of $76.58. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $69.30 and a 200-day moving average price of $66.45. The company has a market cap of $44.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.55.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 analysts’ expectations of $35.10 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.14 EPS. Kroger’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. As a group, equities analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 91.50%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KR has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, March 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Barclays reissued a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.56.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger reported stronger profitability, improved operating profit, significant EPS growth and much better cash from operations in its latest quarter — evidence earnings quality and cash flow are improving. Q4 results
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s deal with Google to combine checkout data with YouTube-scale advertising could boost retail-media revenue and improve ad targeting — a strategic growth lever beyond grocery margins. Kroger-Google retail media
• Positive Sentiment: Seasonal promotions and community programs (Easter sales, local ham distributions, sponsored content) may lift near-term traffic and basket sizes entering Q2. Easter promotions Sponsored content
• Neutral Sentiment: Street sentiment remains generally constructive (median analyst target near $72 and several “Outperform” ratings), which supports a baseline for the stock even amid volatility. Analyst sentiment / local expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: Local PR items (a second store in Taylor, community ham distribution) are positive for brand/traffic but are unlikely to move the stock materially on their own. Community partnership
• Negative Sentiment: California and a coalition of states are seeking $10.3M in fees/costs for helping block the Kroger‑Albertsons merger — a reminder of ongoing antitrust scrutiny and potential legal/transaction friction. Antitrust fee request
• Negative Sentiment: The EEOC has sued Kroger’s Texas operations alleging failure to accommodate an employee with a disability and wrongful termination — regulatory/legal risk and reputational damage that could attract further enforcement or costs. EEOC lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger is closing several underperforming stores (including recent closures in Houston/California) and faces local discrimination allegations — these actions reduce footprint but can weigh on near-term sales, create restructuring charges and hurt brand perception. Store closures Discrimination allegation
• Negative Sentiment: Large institutional sellers (noted in recent filings) have materially reduced positions — supply-side pressure that can amplify downward moves even as fundamentals show improvement. Institutional flows

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.