Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. Purchases New Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 878,188 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $48,766,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. owned about 0.14% of Kroger as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. SGL Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Kroger during the second quarter worth $2,764,000. Allstate Corp raised its holdings in Kroger by 108.5% during the fourth quarter. Allstate Corp now owns 47,991 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,998,000 after buying an additional 24,976 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Kroger by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,169,425 shares of the company's stock worth $4,821,546,000 after buying an additional 868,529 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth about $76,633,000. Finally, Conning Inc. boosted its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 502,522 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $59.06 on Tuesday. 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 company has a market cap of $36.18 billion, a PE ratio of 34.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.43. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $57.78 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $64.69. The Kroger Co. has a fifty-two week low of $54.15 and a fifty-two week high of $76.58.

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

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. This is a positive change from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Kroger's dividend payout ratio is 91.76%.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is rolling out inventory robots, a move that could improve in-store efficiency, reduce labor requirements and help keep products available. The financial benefit is not yet quantified. Kroger rolls out inventory robots
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger and Instacart launched single-order delivery for groceries and eligible prescriptions through Kroger’s websites and apps, including at Fred Meyer, Ralphs and Harris Teeter. The service may increase convenience, digital engagement and order frequency, although delivery costs and customer adoption will determine its earnings impact. Kroger Customers Can Shop for Groceries and Prescriptions in a Single Order
• Positive Sentiment: Promino secured a 662-store Kroger pharmacy test for its Rejuvenate Muscle Health product. The pilot could support pharmacy traffic and ancillary sales, but it is unlikely to materially affect Kroger’s results unless expanded. Promino Secures 662-Store Kroger Pharmacy Test
• Neutral Sentiment: A recall covers roughly 40,000 bottles of eye drops sold at Kroger and other retailers. The product was not exclusive to Kroger, so the direct financial impact may be limited, but recalls can create temporary operational and reputational concerns. Eye-drop recall coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger agreed to a $17 million settlement resolving claims that pharmacy customers were overcharged copayments. The payment is manageable relative to Kroger’s size, but the expense and allegations of unfair pricing could weigh on sentiment toward its pharmacy business. Kroger must pay $17 million settlement

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $82.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, June 19th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Kroger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 20th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $71.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $72.00.

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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