Conning Inc. Buys 74,183 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• Conning increased its Kroger stake by 12.5% in the third quarter, purchasing 74,183 shares and bringing its holdings to 665,708 shares worth approximately $39.0 million.
• Institutional investors and hedge funds own about 80.93% of Kroger. Analysts rate the stock a “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $70.35.
• Kroger exceeded quarterly earnings expectations with $1.09 in EPS and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.39 per share, while executive Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares.

Conning Inc. boosted its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 12.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 665,708 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 74,183 shares during the quarter. Kroger accounts for 1.2% of Conning Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest position. Conning Inc. owned approximately 0.11% of Kroger worth $39,024,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. SGL Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,764,000. Amundi boosted its position in Kroger by 18.3% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,942,230 shares of the company's stock worth $218,912,000 after acquiring an additional 610,039 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $76,633,000. Quantitative Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,527,000. Finally, OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,141,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on KR. Citigroup reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $57.00 price objective (down from $61.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Telsey Advisory Group reduced their target price on shares of Kroger from $78.00 to $75.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 14th. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $60.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Finally, Evercore set a $70.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $70.35.

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Major expansion planned: Kroger intends to add approximately 110 stores by 2029, using three new formats that could broaden its reach and support sales growth. Several new-store projects, including a planned 100,000-square-foot location, are also advancing. Kroger Plots 110 New Stores by 2029
• Positive Sentiment: $5 billion customer-value investment: Kroger plans to invest in lower everyday prices and simpler promotions. The strategy may improve customer loyalty and competitiveness over time, although it could require significant near-term spending. Kroger To Invest $5B In Customer Value
• Positive Sentiment: New products and merchandising initiatives: Kroger is adding Burger King’s seasonal pretzel burger bun and is promoting highly rated exclusive wines, while a holiday fresh-herb program expands supplier activity ahead of the key shopping season. These developments are modest positives for traffic and product differentiation. Kroger wines earn elite scores
• Neutral Sentiment: E-commerce transformation: Kroger is pursuing a “fresh, fast and personal” digital strategy, potentially improving online grocery economics and customer engagement, but the articles provide no financial targets or evidence of immediate earnings impact. Kroger Maps E-Commerce Transformation
• Negative Sentiment: Market-share concerns: A report described additional bad news for Kroger’s market share, reinforcing worries that Walmart, Costco and other price-focused competitors are taking customers. Kroger receives more bad news with market share
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive and reputational risks: Coverage of rivals’ lower-price strategies, Kroger’s proposed data-collection practices and a reported $17 million unfair-pricing settlement add pressure to the company’s brand and profitability outlook. Kroger unfair pricing settlement

Insider Transactions at Kroger

In other Kroger news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total value of $4,425,090.70. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 175,233 shares in the company, valued at $10,636,643.10. This trade represents a 29.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

Kroger Stock Down 1.3%

NYSE:KR opened at $65.00 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 0.36. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $54.15 and a twelve month high of $76.58. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $60.24 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $63.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.04. Kroger had a return on equity of 49.90% and a net margin of 0.73%. The company had revenue of $34.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.64 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.04 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.20 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 16th. Kroger's dividend payout ratio is 84.78%.

Kroger Company Profile

The Kroger Co is a U.S. food and grocery retailer headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883, the company operates supermarkets under banners that include Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, King Soopers, Fry's, Harris Teeter and Smith's, among others.

Kroger's business includes the sale of fresh food, groceries, general merchandise, household products and health and beauty items. Many of its stores also provide pharmacy services and fuel centers. The company offers digital shopping, pickup and delivery services, loyalty programs and a range of private-label products, including Simple Truth, Private Selection and Kroger-branded products.

Kroger primarily serves customers across the United States, with stores concentrated in the Midwest, South, West and parts of the Mid-Atlantic region.

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