Bank of New York Mellon Corp Sells 261,677 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• Bank of New York Mellon reduced its Kroger stake by 6.3% in the first quarter, selling 261,677 shares and ending with 3,878,550 shares valued at about $280.7 million.
• Analysts remain mixed on Kroger, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $72, even though some firms recently trimmed their price targets.
• Kroger reported solid revenue but a slight EPS miss in its latest quarter, while also raising its quarterly dividend to $0.39 per share from $0.35, signaling continued shareholder returns.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp cut its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 6.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,878,550 shares of the company's stock after selling 261,677 shares during the quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp owned about 0.63% of Kroger worth $280,652,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Kroger by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,169,425 shares of the company's stock worth $4,821,546,000 after purchasing an additional 868,529 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 1.2% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 31,948,112 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,153,622,000 after acquiring an additional 386,503 shares in the last quarter. GQG Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 11.3% in the 4th quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 13,398,072 shares of the company's stock worth $837,113,000 after purchasing an additional 1,360,946 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Kroger by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 12,242,401 shares of the company's stock worth $764,932,000 after purchasing an additional 122,606 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter valued at about $470,561,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $80.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Citigroup reduced their target price on Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, HC Wainwright reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $72.00.

Kroger Price Performance

NYSE:KR opened at $58.89 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average is $61.70 and its 200 day moving average is $65.58. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $54.15 and a 12 month high of $76.58. The company has a market capitalization of $36.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43.

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

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This is a positive change from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Kroger's dividend payout ratio is 82.35%.

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger announced a partnership with Mid-Ohio Food Collective aimed at a $100,000 flash match goal, highlighting continued community engagement and brand goodwill. Kroger partners with Mid-Ohio Food Collective for $100,000 flash match goal
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is expanding its wine business with 147 new wine shops nationwide, a move that could support higher-margin sales and strengthen its premium offerings. Kroger bets on luxury wines with 147 new wine shops nationwide
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and media coverage continue to debate Kroger’s valuation, with one recent piece suggesting the stock may be trading near fair value rather than at a discount. Is Kroger (KR) Stock Trading Around Fair Value Today?
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s proposed acquisition activity is still facing regulatory review, with possible divestitures discussed, which keeps the deal story active but uncertain for investors. Kroger (KR) Awaits Giant Eagle Review As Tempo Starts Cook Never Club
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple reports of a shooting at a Cypress Kroger location, including critical injuries and an arrest, may weigh on sentiment due to safety concerns and potential reputational damage. Suspect charged after shooting inside Cypress Kroger; security expert shares tips on how to survive a violent situation
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage says Kroger foot traffic has slumped for a third straight month, suggesting softer in-store demand and pressure on near-term sales trends. Kroger foot traffic slumps, analyst says, continuing a three-month trend
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Kroger scrapped most of its Florida Harris Teeter expansion plans also point to slower growth expectations in a key market. Kroger scraps plans for 80 Harris Teeter stores in Florida, except 1

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.