Allianz Asset Management GmbH Has $290.78 Million Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• Allianz Asset Management GmbH cut its Kroger stake by 11.4% in the fourth quarter, selling 601,134 shares but still holding 4,653,950 shares worth about $290.8 million.
• Kroger continues to attract heavy institutional ownership, with firms like Vanguard, Wellington, State Street, and Norges Bank maintaining or adding large positions; overall, institutional investors own 80.93% of the stock.
• The company faces a mixed backdrop: analysts remain moderately bullish and Kroger keeps paying dividends, but it also has legal and pricing concerns after settling a false-advertising lawsuit and amid scrutiny over digital shelf labels and potential surge pricing.

Allianz Asset Management GmbH reduced its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 11.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,653,950 shares of the company's stock after selling 601,134 shares during the period. Allianz Asset Management GmbH owned approximately 0.74% of Kroger worth $290,779,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Kroger by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,169,425 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,821,546,000 after purchasing an additional 868,529 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 61.1% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 33,367,551 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,249,307,000 after acquiring an additional 12,652,261 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Kroger by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 31,948,112 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,153,622,000 after buying an additional 386,503 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at about $470,561,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in Kroger by 15.8% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 6,327,182 shares of the company's stock worth $426,515,000 after buying an additional 865,559 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is leaning into traffic-driving promotions, including BOGO meat deals, discounted ice cream, a Toy Story-themed value item, and a summer fuel-savings campaign that could support store visits and customer loyalty. Kroger Just Dropped BOGO Meats, $2.99 Ice Cream, and a $10 Toy Story Find! Kroger Helps Customers Save On Their Next Fill-Up This Summer
• Positive Sentiment: The company is also promoting a new limited-edition ice cream collection and giving away free pints, which may help generate buzz and modestly lift customer engagement. Kroger has a new limited-edition ice cream collection. And you can try it for free. Want free ice cream? Kroger giving away 100K pints this month
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts continue to point to Kroger’s history of earnings beats, suggesting the stock could still have support if upcoming results are solid. Will Kroger (KR) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Separate coverage noted that Kroger has lagged the broader market over the past year, but analysts remain somewhat constructive on its growth outlook. Is Kroger Stock Underperforming the S&P 500?
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger agreed to pay $1.25 million to settle a false advertising / inaccurate calorie-count lawsuit in California, adding legal and reputational overhang. Kroger to pay $1.25M to settle false calorie advertising lawsuit Kroger to Pay $1.25 Million to Resolve False Advertising Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Expanded digital shelf labels are drawing attention as shoppers worry they could be used for surge pricing or more aggressive price changes while grocery inflation remains elevated. Kroger installs digital price tags in 1 of 4 stores as surge pricing fears grow Kroger expands digital price tags as pricing concerns grow

Kroger Stock Down 0.0%

Kroger stock opened at $62.93 on Wednesday. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $58.60 and a 12 month high of $76.58. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $67.14 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $66.57. 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 firm has a market cap of $38.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.13, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.42.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th were given a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. Kroger's payout ratio is 91.50%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on KR shares. Erste Group Bank downgraded Kroger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. BMO Capital Markets restated a "market perform" rating and issued a $70.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Kroger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, April 4th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Kroger presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $74.73.

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.

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