The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the sixteen brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eight have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $74.5625.

A number of research analysts have weighed in on KR shares. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 target price on Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Evercore set a $77.00 price target on Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Wall Street Zen cut Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 27th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $70.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th.

Kroger Trading Up 0.6%

NYSE:KR opened at $73.67 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $68.98 and a 200-day moving average price of $66.39. The stock has a market cap of $46.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.15, a P/E/G ratio of 1.95 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. Kroger has a 12 month low of $58.60 and a 12 month high of $76.58.

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

Kroger Announces Dividend

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

Institutional Trading of Kroger

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in KR. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. grew its stake in Kroger by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. now owns 3,537 shares of the company’s stock worth $221,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Kroger by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 10,747 shares of the company’s stock valued at $674,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares during the period. WESPAC Advisors LLC increased its stake in Kroger by 1.2% in the third quarter. WESPAC Advisors LLC now owns 13,585 shares of the company’s stock valued at $916,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. WPG Advisers LLC lifted its position in Kroger by 16.8% during the third quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 1,160 shares of the company’s stock worth $78,000 after buying an additional 167 shares during the period. Finally, Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas boosted its stake in Kroger by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas now owns 18,846 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,270,000 after buying an additional 173 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.