Corient Private Wealth LP Takes $17.19 Million Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Corient Private Wealth LP bought a new position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 309,629 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $17,194,000. Corient Private Wealth LP owned approximately 0.05% of Kroger at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $3,016,956,000. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Kroger by 1.2% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 31,948,112 shares of the company's stock worth $2,153,622,000 after acquiring an additional 386,503 shares during the last quarter. GQG Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Kroger by 11.3% during the fourth quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 13,398,072 shares of the company's stock worth $837,113,000 after acquiring an additional 1,360,946 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Kroger by 0.4% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 12,296,026 shares of the company's stock worth $889,878,000 after acquiring an additional 53,625 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter worth about $470,561,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on KR shares. Guggenheim restated a "buy" rating and set a $71.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Wall Street Zen lowered Kroger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 20th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, Evercore restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $78.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $72.00.

More Kroger News

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 Stock Up 1.4%

NYSE:KR opened at $57.73 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $35.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.43. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $54.15 and a one year high of $76.58. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $57.63 and a 200 day simple moving average of $64.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.79.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.49 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly 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. Sell-side analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. This is an increase from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger's dividend payout ratio is currently 91.76%.

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.

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