Aberdeen Group plc Purchases 21,662 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Aberdeen Group plc lifted its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 5.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 414,587 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 21,662 shares during the quarter. Aberdeen Group plc owned 0.07% of Kroger worth $25,903,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of KR. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in Kroger by 27.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,733 shares of the company’s stock worth $962,000 after purchasing an additional 3,373 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP lifted its holdings in Kroger by 40.7% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 56,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,807,000 after acquiring an additional 16,270 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Kroger in the second quarter valued at about $201,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Kroger in the second quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Kroger by 41.8% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,960 shares of the company’s stock worth $284,000 after purchasing an additional 1,167 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $70.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Roth Mkm restated a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 target price (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $75.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Kroger has an average 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: Erste Group started research coverage of Kroger, which can increase investor attention and liquidity and may support the share price if the reports are constructive. Kroger (NYSE:KR) Research Coverage Started at Erste Group Bank
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street Zen upgraded Kroger to a “Buy,” a direct positive signal that can drive short-term demand and help sentiment among retail investors. Kroger (NYSE:KR) Upgraded to “Buy” at Wall Street Zen
• Positive Sentiment: TheStreet reports Target is pulling back from competing with Walmart and Kroger in a major area — less competition from a large general merchandiser could be a modest long-term tailwind for Kroger’s grocery share. Target quietly stops competing with Walmart, Kroger in major area
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple outlets clarify Kroger’s Easter hours (open on Easter in many locations), a short-term operational note that can modestly lift weekend traffic but is unlikely to move the stock materially. Is Kroger open or closed on Easter Sunday 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: TheStreet and Today.com also ran practical pieces on Kroger’s Easter hours, reiterating the same customer-facing detail — useful for short-term sales but low market impact. Kroger Easter hours 2026: Is Kroger open on Easter Sunday
• Neutral Sentiment: Yahoo Finance published a valuation/DCF discussion asking whether Kroger’s current price and high P/E fully reflect upside — this keeps valuation risk in investors’ minds and can temper enthusiasm. Is Kroger (KR) Pricing Reflect Its DCF Upside And High P/E Multiple?
• Neutral Sentiment: An ancillary piece on Trader Joe’s (open on Easter) is informational for grocery shoppers but has limited direct impact on Kroger’s stock. Is Trader Joe’s open on Easter?
• Negative Sentiment: FDA-related reports say ~3 million bottles of eye drops sold at retailers including Kroger were recalled over potential contamination — poses a modest operational/reputational risk and could mean lost sales, recalls or litigation exposure depending on Kroger’s role in distribution. 3 Million Bottles of Eye Drops Sold at Walgreens, Kroger and More Recalled, FDA Says
• Negative Sentiment: Local coverage (Houston Chronicle) repeats the recall details; monitor potential inventory, returns or liability disclosures in Kroger’s filings or PR. 3 million bottles of eye drops sold at H-E-B, Walgreens, Kroger and CVS recalled over potential contamination

Kroger Stock Down 0.0%

KR opened at $72.35 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $44.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.55. 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 firm’s fifty day moving average is $69.66 and its 200 day moving average is $66.52. 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 announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 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 business had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.10 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.14 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is 91.50%.

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.