Daiwa Securities Group Inc. Has $11.88 Million Stock Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its Kroger stake by 12.8% in the fourth quarter, ending with 190,170 shares valued at about $11.88 million.
• Kroger recently beat earnings estimates for the quarter, reporting $1.28 EPS versus the expected $1.20, though revenue came in slightly below forecasts at $34.73 billion.
• The company also paid a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share, and analysts currently have a Moderate Buy consensus with an average price target of $74.73.

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 12.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 190,170 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 21,521 shares during the quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.'s holdings in Kroger were worth $11,881,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Kroger by 268.1% during the 4th quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. Avalon Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Kroger Stock Performance

NYSE:KR opened at $63.59 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $58.60 and a 1 year high of $76.58. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $67.52 and its 200 day simple moving average is $66.63. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.96 billion, a PE ratio of 41.56, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.42.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a net margin of 0.69% and a return on equity of 41.08%. The business had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.14 EPS. Kroger's revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Kroger's dividend payout ratio is 91.50%.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is promoting its new limited-time “All-American Ice Cream Collection” and giving away 100,000 free pints for the summer solstice, a marketing push that could lift traffic and reinforce customer engagement. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports noted new or upcoming Kroger Marketplace openings and development progress in Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia, signaling continued store expansion and local market investment. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several lifestyle and local-news pieces highlighted the ice cream giveaway and store openings, but these are largely promotional updates rather than material financial catalysts. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger agreed to a $2.5 million DOJ settlement over alleged Clean Air Act emissions violations, which adds a legal and compliance overhang even if the dollar amount is relatively small. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: A report suggesting Kroger may lose more executives could raise concerns about management turnover and continuity. Article Title

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Guggenheim restated a "buy" rating and set a $78.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, March 27th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a "market perform" rating and issued a $70.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $80.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $74.73.

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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