15,681 Shares in The Kroger Co. $KR Acquired by Integrated Quantitative Investments LLC

Key Points

• Integrated Quantitative Investments LLC opened a new position in Kroger in Q3, acquiring 15,681 shares valued at about $1.06 million.
• Kroger beat Q4 EPS ($1.28 vs. $1.20) and signaled strong capital returns with a $7.5B repurchase program (including a $5B accelerated buyback) plus an additional $2B board approval, while forecasting roughly $400M of eCommerce operating‑profit improvement in 2026.
• The company reported a $2.5B fiscal‑2025 impairment (GAAP loss) and faces ongoing headwinds from labor/legal risks, product recalls, and store closures that could pressure margins and traffic.

Integrated Quantitative Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 15,681 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,057,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KR. IFG Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 5.9% in the third quarter. IFG Advisory LLC now owns 33,370 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,249,000 after purchasing an additional 1,847 shares in the last quarter. American Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Kroger during the 3rd quarter valued at $52,000. BTS Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the third quarter worth about $1,006,000. Great Lakes Retirement Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 6.4% during the third quarter. Great Lakes Retirement Inc. now owns 36,120 shares of the company's stock worth $2,435,000 after purchasing an additional 2,169 shares during the period. Finally, Richard C. Young & CO. LTD. boosted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter. Richard C. Young & CO. LTD. now owns 153,101 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,321,000 after buying an additional 5,920 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Kroger Price Performance

KR opened at $67.97 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28. The company has a market capitalization of $43.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 62.94, a PEG ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.62. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $58.60 and a twelve month high of $74.90. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $64.96 and a 200-day moving average price of $65.85.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 38.06% and a net margin of 0.54%. Equities analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. Kroger's payout ratio is currently 129.63%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on KR. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Evercore set a $77.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, February 9th. Guggenheim restated a "buy" rating and set a $78.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $73.93.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — Kroger reported $1.28 EPS vs. $1.20 consensus and highlighted strong eCommerce sales and ROE, giving investors an upside surprise to near-term earnings visibility. Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Large buyback authorization — Management cleared a $7.5B repurchase program (including a $5B accelerated buyback) and the board approved an additional $2B, a clear capital-return signal that supports share price. PR Newswire
• Positive Sentiment: eCommerce repositioning — Kroger completed an eCommerce strategic review, forecasting ~$400M in operating-profit improvement in 2026 and pointing to a path to eCommerce profitability alongside ~$16B in eCommerce sales. PR Newswire
• Neutral Sentiment: GAAP vs. adjusted results — Fiscal 2025 included a $2.5B impairment that produced a GAAP loss; adjusted metrics and free cash flow were stronger, so performance needs to be viewed through both lenses. PR Newswire
• Neutral Sentiment: Product innovation — Kroger is expanding private‑label fresh and frozen meal offerings, a modest revenue/margin lever but not an immediate game-changer. Grocery Dive
• Negative Sentiment: Labor and legal risks — Kroger faces two class-action suits alleging e‑commerce manager misclassification and a public clash with the Teamsters that could raise labor costs or disruption risk. Grocery Dive
• Negative Sentiment: Recall and food-safety headlines — Frozen-food recalls affecting Kroger/Trader Joe’s product lines and a glass contamination recall are reputational and operational headwinds that can dent traffic or margins. Yahoo
• Negative Sentiment: Store closures and layoffs — Additional location exits and headcount reductions signal portfolio pruning that may boost near-term cost control but also reflect underlying market/operational challenges. TheStreet

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.

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