Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC Reduces Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC lowered its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 51.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 6,735 shares of the company’s stock after selling 7,060 shares during the period. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $442,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp purchased a new position in Kroger in the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Avalon Trust Co purchased a new stake in Kroger in the third quarter valued at $29,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its position in Kroger by 87.8% in the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 445 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares during the period. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Kroger by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 490 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 245 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat on profit and margins: Kroger reported adjusted EPS above estimates, delivered gross‑margin expansion and 20% e‑commerce growth; management also rolled out FY‑26 adjusted EPS guidance above consensus and approved further buybacks — a clear catalyst for earnings per‑share growth. PR Newswire
• Positive Sentiment: Large, sustained capital returns: Management completed accelerated repurchases in 2025 and the board approved an additional $2B repurchase authorization on top of a $7.5B program; analysts and commentators say buybacks plus a growing dividend underpin long‑term per‑share upside. MarketBeat
• Positive Sentiment: Street support and upgrades: Several shops have reiterated/raised ratings and price targets (e.g., Roth MKM reaffirmed buy with a $78 PT; Telsey lifted its target), reinforcing positive sentiment into the print. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual bullish options flow: Call buying spiked (large single‑day activity), suggesting some traders are positioning for additional upside or event‑driven moves.
• Neutral Sentiment: New CEO’s playbook: Greg Foran is pushing lower prices, sharper promotions, AI and e‑commerce improvements to accelerate sales — a credible strategic pivot but execution and timing remain uncertain. FoodBusinessNews
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst consensus is broadly constructive (moderate buy), but median price targets leave limited near‑term upside absent stronger top‑line revisions. AmericanBankingNews
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue and sales outlook are muted: Q4 revenue slightly missed estimates and management offered modest identical‑sales guidance for 2026 (1–2% ex‑fuel), tempering a rally based solely on EPS strength. Retail Insight Network
• Negative Sentiment: Product recalls: Kroger‑branded and partner rice/frozen products were included in a glass‑fragment recall, creating short‑term inventory, sales and reputational headwinds in affected markets. MSN
• Negative Sentiment: Labor and legal exposure: Class‑action suits over e‑commerce worker classification and heightened union friction (Teamsters commentary) add regulatory/legal risk and potential costs. GroceryDive
• Negative Sentiment: Dividend sustainability question: Commentary flagged a high payout ratio on a GAAP basis (dividend > GAAP net income), which could worry income investors despite strong cash flow and buybacks. 24/7 Wall St.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on KR shares. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price objective on Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 27th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $70.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Evercore set a $77.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.38.

Kroger Stock Up 3.8%

Kroger stock opened at $74.31 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $58.60 and a twelve month high of $74.90. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $65.35 and its 200-day simple moving average is $65.85.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its 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. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The firm had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.14 earnings per share. Kroger’s 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 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 paid a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 91.50%.

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.