Conning Inc. Purchases 502,522 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• Conning Inc. sharply increased its Kroger stake in the fourth quarter, buying 502,522 additional shares and lifting its holdings to 507,459 shares worth about $31.7 million.
• Institutional ownership remains very high, with about 80.93% of Kroger’s stock held by institutional investors and hedge funds, and several other firms also boosting positions recently.
• Kroger’s latest financials were mixed but solid: it beat EPS expectations with $1.28 per share, but revenue came in slightly below estimates. The company also reaffirmed FY2026 EPS guidance of 5.10 to 5.30 and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share.

Conning Inc. boosted its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 10,178.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 507,459 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 502,522 shares during the period. Conning Inc. owned about 0.08% of Kroger worth $31,706,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 61.1% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 33,367,551 shares of the company's stock worth $2,249,307,000 after buying an additional 12,652,261 shares in the last quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH grew its position in Kroger by 66.6% during the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 5,255,084 shares of the company's stock worth $354,245,000 after acquiring an additional 2,100,444 shares during the last quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC grew its position in Kroger by 299.6% during the 2nd quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 2,420,495 shares of the company's stock worth $173,622,000 after acquiring an additional 1,814,721 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. increased its holdings in Kroger by 95.6% during the 2nd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 2,434,663 shares of the company's stock valued at $174,638,000 after purchasing an additional 1,190,127 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. raised its position in Kroger by 51.0% in the 3rd quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 2,991,513 shares of the company's stock valued at $201,658,000 after purchasing an additional 1,010,457 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Investor commentary is framing Kroger as potentially attractive after recent share price softness, suggesting some market participants see upside if the company can hold steady on earnings and cash flow. Is Kroger (KR) Offering Opportunity After Recent Share Price Softness?
• Positive Sentiment: Harris Teeter, a Kroger banner, launched a week-long customer appreciation sale with daily deals and 4x fuel points, which could support traffic and sales momentum at the grocery chain. Harris Teeter Offers VIC Card Members Daily Deals, 4x Fuel Points During Week-Long Customer Appreciation Sale May 13-19
• Neutral Sentiment: Disclosures showed Ron Sargent was among the region’s highest paid CEOs while serving as Kroger’s interim chief executive, but this is mostly backward-looking compensation news rather than a direct operational update. Ron Sargent was among region's highest paid CEOs when he ran Kroger
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s Queen City Championship sponsorship is generating local and sports coverage, including LPGA and Xavier University golf stories, but these articles are not likely to move the stock on their own. Xavier University golfers bring hometown buzz to Kroger Queen City Championship
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are watching environmental and regulatory risk after a report said refrigerant leaks could cost Kroger about $2.5 million in fines and roughly $100 million for appliance upgrades, which could pressure margins. Refrigerant leaks to cost Kroger $2.5M in fines, $100M for appliance upgrades

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. Barclays restated a "positive" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, February 9th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Kroger from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $70.00 to $68.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Guggenheim restated a "buy" rating and issued a $78.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Wolfe Research reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $75.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $74.56.

Kroger Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of KR opened at $66.79 on Friday. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $70.03 and its 200-day simple moving average is $66.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.92 billion, a PE ratio of 43.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.46. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $58.60 and a 12-month high of $76.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The firm had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.14 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Kroger's dividend payout ratio is currently 91.50%.

Kroger 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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