Ameritas Advisory Services LLC Acquires 19,145 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Ameritas Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 588.7% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 22,397 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 19,145 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Kroger were worth $1,244,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of KR. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new position in Kroger during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new position in Kroger during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Kroger during the first quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Kroger in the third quarter worth $31,000. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s grocery and digital businesses are expected to show continued momentum. Analysts are watching revenue growth, customer traffic, e-commerce performance and management’s outlook against fiscal 2026 earnings guidance of $5.10-$5.30 per share. Kroger Set to Report Q2 Earnings: What Should Investors Expect?
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger expanded its customer convenience offering by enabling delivery of GLP-1 prescriptions with grocery orders, which could support pharmacy engagement and digital sales. Kroger can now deliver your GLP-1 prescription with your groceries
• Positive Sentiment: New leadership hires and planned expansion, including an approved Kroger Marketplace mixed-use development in Keller, Texas, may strengthen Kroger’s long-term competitive position against Walmart and Amazon. Kroger and Albertsons make key moves to take on Amazon and Walmart

Kroger Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $56.87 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $54.15 and a 1-year high of $76.58. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $57.78 and its 200-day simple moving average is $63.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.84 billion, a PE ratio of 33.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.41.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The company had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $45.59 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.49 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th were issued a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. This is a positive change from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger's payout ratio is currently 91.76%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, June 1st. Barclays set a $61.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $82.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, June 19th. Citigroup restated a "neutral" rating and set a $57.00 price objective (down from $61.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $71.31.

Kroger Profile

The Kroger Co NYSE: KR is one of the largest grocery retailers in the United States. Founded in Cincinnati in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, the company operates supermarkets, multi-department stores, pharmacies, convenience stores and fuel centers across the country.

Kroger sells a broad range of fresh foods, packaged groceries, household products, health and beauty items, prepared foods and general merchandise. Its private-label offerings include Simple Truth, Private Selection and Kroger brands.

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