Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec Purchases New Stake in The Kroger Co. $KR

Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec acquired a new position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 143,022 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,942,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. SGL Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Kroger in the second quarter valued at about $2,764,000. Allstate Corp boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 108.5% in the 4th quarter. Allstate Corp now owns 47,991 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,998,000 after purchasing an additional 24,976 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $76,633,000. Conning Inc. increased its position in Kroger by 10,178.7% during the 4th quarter. Conning Inc. now owns 507,459 shares of the company's stock worth $31,706,000 after purchasing an additional 502,522 shares in the last quarter. Finally, North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new position in Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,299,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. UBS Group set a $63.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Barclays set a $61.00 price target on Kroger and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Wall Street Zen downgraded Kroger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 20th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Kroger currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $72.00.

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger announced its 2026 Wellness Tour, with September in-store and community events intended to increase customer engagement and reinforce the company’s health-and-wellness offerings. The initiative is strategically positive, though its near-term financial impact is likely limited. Kroger Wellness Tour announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity, with purchases more than double the typical daily volume, suggests increased bullish speculative interest. However, options activity does not guarantee sustained buying in the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Murray’s Cheese, a Kroger brand, expanded its premium cave-aged collection to select Harris Teeter stores in Charlotte. The launch supports product differentiation and potentially higher-margin sales but is unlikely to materially affect companywide results. Murray’s Cheese Harris Teeter launch
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s recent earnings showed revenue growth and earnings ahead of the prior-year period, but earnings per share narrowly missed estimates. Management’s fiscal-year EPS guidance remains a key factor for investors assessing whether the current valuation is justified.
• Negative Sentiment: Industry data indicated Kroger’s foot traffic declined in July as the broader supermarket sector also struggled. Persistent traffic weakness could pressure comparable sales and raise concerns about consumer demand. Kroger July foot traffic report
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger agreed to pay $17 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging prescription-drug pricing practices. The cash cost is manageable relative to Kroger’s size, but the settlement adds legal expense and reputational risk. Kroger prescription pricing settlement
• Negative Sentiment: Sony Music sued Kroger over alleged unauthorized use of songs in social-media advertising, creating another potential legal liability. The financial impact is uncertain, but the lawsuit adds to investor concerns following the pharmacy settlement. Sony Music lawsuit against Kroger

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $57.73 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $54.15 and a twelve month high of $76.58. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $57.63 and a 200 day simple moving average of $64.45. The company has a market capitalization of $35.37 billion, a PE ratio of 33.96, a P/E/G ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last issued 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 firm had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.49 EPS. The business's revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

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

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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