The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Bought by Bank of Montreal Can

Bank of Montreal Can lifted its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 5.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 950,345 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 50,868 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can owned about 0.14% of Kroger worth $64,063,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Avalon Trust Co purchased a new stake in Kroger in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 87.8% in the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 445 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 208 shares during the period. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its position in 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. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth $36,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of KR opened at $74.98 on Friday. 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 stock’s 50 day moving average is $66.20 and its two-hundred day moving average is $65.99. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $58.60 and a twelve month high of $76.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.45 billion, a PE ratio of 49.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.62.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.10 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.14 EPS. The company’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. Research analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is 91.50%.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Post‑earnings optimism and analyst price‑target hikes following Kroger’s March 5 earnings beat and FY2026 guidance; analysts cited improving e‑commerce and pharmacy trends and lifted targets, supporting the rally. Kroger shares rise 3.9% as post-earnings optimism and price-target hikes build
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share (paid June 1; record May 15). The company has grown the dividend at a ~13% CAGR since reinstatement in 2006 — a positive for income and total‑return focused investors. Kroger’s Board of Directors Declares Quarterly Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Evercore and other research notes have recently boosted targets and reiterated constructive views (Evercore raised its target to $83), reinforcing investor confidence after the latest results. Kroger (KR) Stock Gets Price Target Boost from Evercore
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger hit an all‑time high intraday, reflecting the cumulative effect of earnings, guidance and capital‑return news; this can attract momentum flows but also prompts valuation scrutiny. Kroger stock reaches all-time high
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic/operational updates from new management — customer appreciation promotions and a public outline of five growth priorities — signal active turnaround work; these are positive for execution but require time to show margin impact. Kroger and new CEO outline 5 growth priorities
• Neutral Sentiment: Ocado’s move toward store‑based automated fulfillment and talks with other retailers reduces dependence on its past Kroger‑exclusive model — not an immediate hit to Kroger but worth monitoring for future e‑commerce capacity dynamics. Ocado turns to store-based e-commerce fulfillment
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger plans to close about 50 Little Clinics — a pullback that could reduce health‑service revenue and signals a strategic reset in healthcare operations. Investors may view this as a short‑term headwind or a cost‑cutting move depending on execution. Kroger plans to shutter 50 Little Clinics
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts cautioned Kroger is becoming fairly valued after the rally and issued downgrades or neutral takes, which could limit upside if earnings/delivery fall short of elevated expectations. Kroger: Strong E‑Commerce Growth, But Fairly Valued After Rally (Downgrade)
• Negative Sentiment: Food‑safety recall coverage (expanded frozen fried rice recall including Kroger products) is a small operational risk that can traffic negative headlines and local sales impacts. Frozen fried rice recall expanded by USDA

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on KR. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Evercore set a $77.00 price target on Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Barclays reaffirmed a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, February 9th. BMO Capital Markets reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $70.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Roth Mkm restated a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 price target (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $74.56.

About Kroger

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.