The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Bought by AIA Group Ltd

AIA Group Ltd grew its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 12.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 135,500 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 15,100 shares during the quarter. AIA Group Ltd’s holdings in Kroger were worth $9,805,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Kroger by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,169,425 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,821,546,000 after acquiring an additional 868,529 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in Kroger by 1.2% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 31,948,112 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,153,622,000 after acquiring an additional 386,503 shares during the last quarter. GQG Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 11.3% in the fourth quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 13,398,072 shares of the company’s stock valued at $837,113,000 after purchasing an additional 1,360,946 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 12,242,401 shares of the company’s stock valued at $764,932,000 after purchasing an additional 122,606 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $470,561,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on KR shares. UBS Group set a $63.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $71.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Erste Group Bank downgraded Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Kroger from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Kroger presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $72.00.

Kroger Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of KR opened at $58.89 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a fifty-two week low of $54.15 and a fifty-two week high of $76.58. The company has a market capitalization of $36.08 billion, a PE ratio of 34.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.44. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $61.70 and a two-hundred day moving average of $65.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.79.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.Kroger’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.49 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This is a positive change from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is 91.76%.

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger announced a partnership with Mid-Ohio Food Collective aimed at a $100,000 flash match goal, highlighting continued community engagement and brand goodwill. Kroger partners with Mid-Ohio Food Collective for $100,000 flash match goal
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is expanding its wine business with 147 new wine shops nationwide, a move that could support higher-margin sales and strengthen its premium offerings. Kroger bets on luxury wines with 147 new wine shops nationwide
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and media coverage continue to debate Kroger’s valuation, with one recent piece suggesting the stock may be trading near fair value rather than at a discount. Is Kroger (KR) Stock Trading Around Fair Value Today?
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s proposed acquisition activity is still facing regulatory review, with possible divestitures discussed, which keeps the deal story active but uncertain for investors. Kroger (KR) Awaits Giant Eagle Review As Tempo Starts Cook Never Club
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple reports of a shooting at a Cypress Kroger location, including critical injuries and an arrest, may weigh on sentiment due to safety concerns and potential reputational damage. Suspect charged after shooting inside Cypress Kroger; security expert shares tips on how to survive a violent situation
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage says Kroger foot traffic has slumped for a third straight month, suggesting softer in-store demand and pressure on near-term sales trends. Kroger foot traffic slumps, analyst says, continuing a three-month trend
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Kroger scrapped most of its Florida Harris Teeter expansion plans also point to slower growth expectations in a key market. Kroger scraps plans for 80 Harris Teeter stores in Florida, except 1

Kroger 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.