California Public Employees Retirement System Has $135.24 Million Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

California Public Employees Retirement System cut its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 16.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,006,282 shares of the company’s stock after selling 385,470 shares during the period. California Public Employees Retirement System owned about 0.30% of Kroger worth $135,243,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Bank of Nova Scotia grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 102.5% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 168,395 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,079,000 after purchasing an additional 85,223 shares during the period. CWM LLC lifted its position in shares of Kroger by 43.4% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 72,244 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,870,000 after buying an additional 21,876 shares during the period. Liberty One Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Kroger by 85.0% during the 3rd quarter. Liberty One Investment Management LLC now owns 857,667 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,828,000 after buying an additional 394,060 shares during the period. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd boosted its stake in Kroger by 401.3% in the 3rd quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd now owns 19,470 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,293,000 after buying an additional 15,586 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. grew its position in Kroger by 45.5% in the third quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 855,810 shares of the company’s stock valued at $57,690,000 after acquiring an additional 267,434 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger expanded access to Eli Lilly’s Zepbound® KwikPen at participating Kroger pharmacies, which can drive pharmacy revenue, strengthen Kroger’s healthcare positioning and attract higher-margin prescription sales (and the company will honor manufacturer savings programs for eligible patients). Kroger Brings Zepbound® KwikPen to Retail Pharmacy
• Positive Sentiment: Media coverage noting the pharmacy rollout and investor reaction contributed to shares edging up; the Benzinga note flags near-term investor interest tied to the Zepbound availability. Kroger Shares Rise As Pharmacies Add Eli Lilly’s Zepbound KwikPen
• Positive Sentiment: KR’s technical/momentum profile improved after a Relative Strength rating lift to 82, which can attract momentum and technical-focused buyers. Kroger Stock Gets Relative Strength Rating Lift To 82
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share, supporting income investors and signaling confidence in cash flow (ex-dividend in May; paid June 1). Dividend growth history may underpin valuation support. Kroger’s Board of Directors Declares Quarterly Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism and post-earnings positioning continued to lift sentiment—notes point to EPS beats, FY2026 guidance and several price-target increases that have helped push shares higher after the March 5 results. Kroger shares rise 3.9% as post-earnings optimism and price-target hikes build
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger hit an all-time intraday high recently, reflecting momentum; while bullish, this can also invite short-term profit-taking. Kroger stock reaches all-time high at 74.92 USD
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger plans to close about 50 Little Clinics — a cost-cutting/reshaping move that may reduce near-term healthcare footprint and could signal lower near-term revenue from those locations. Investors may view this as a strategic tradeoff. Kroger plans to shutter 50 Little Clinics
• Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical risks from the Iran war (Strait of Hormuz disruptions) could push up supply-chain costs and retail prices, pressuring margins for grocers including Kroger if input costs rise or supply chains tighten. This is an industry-level headwind with uncertain timing. How the Iran war could start to impact U.S. retail prices
• Negative Sentiment: A recent Seeking Alpha piece argued Kroger may be fairly valued after a rally and flagged a downgrade — a reminder some analysts see less upside after the run-up, which can cap near-term gains. Kroger: Strong E-commerce Growth, But Fairly Valued After Rally (Downgrade)

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $75.65 on Monday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $66.46 and a 200-day moving average of $65.99. 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 Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $58.60 and a twelve month high of $76.58. The firm has a market cap of $47.87 billion, a PE ratio of 49.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.62.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.10 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.69% and a return on equity of 41.08%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.14 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid 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%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $75.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Barclays reissued a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $70.00 price target (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.56.

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.