Engineers Gate Manager LP Increases Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Engineers Gate Manager LP lifted its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 537.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 117,646 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 99,183 shares during the period. Engineers Gate Manager LP's holdings in Kroger were worth $6,533,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at $31,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new position in Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger reported second-quarter adjusted EPS of $1.09, above the approximately $1.05 analyst consensus and up from $1.04 a year earlier. Operating profit increased to $971 million, while adjusted eCommerce sales grew 20% and Kroger Precision Marketing profit rose 24%. Kroger Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results and Updates Guidance for 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Management reaffirmed fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $5.10–$5.30, signaling confidence that cost savings, pharmacy and fuel performance, eCommerce and margin management can offset sluggish sales. Kroger also repurchased $1 billion of stock during the quarter. Kroger gains as profit outlook holds despite softer sales guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity indicated that some traders were positioning for additional upside following the earnings release.
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue rose 2% year over year to $34.62 billion but was slightly below estimates. Identical sales excluding fuel increased only 0.2%, reflecting cautious consumer spending and the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on pharmacy revenue. Kroger Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results and Updates Guidance for 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger cut its fiscal-year identical-sales outlook excluding fuel to 0.2%–0.8%, down from 1%–2%. Executives cited inflation, intense grocery competition and strained household budgets, including elevated gasoline costs and reduced government food assistance. Kroger Cuts Sales View Due to Macro Challenges
• Negative Sentiment: A cyclospora outbreak reduced fresh-produce shopping during the quarter, while reports that Boar’s Head meats are disappearing from some stores could create additional deli-sales and customer-retention concerns. Cyclospora outbreak hammers Kroger sales as shoppers avoided produce

Kroger Stock Up 2.7%

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $58.50 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $54.15 and a 12-month high of $76.58. The company has a market capitalization of $35.84 billion, a PE ratio of 34.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.41. 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 firm's 50-day moving average is $57.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $63.66.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.04. Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The company had revenue of $34.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $34.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.04 earnings per share. The business'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 analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th were issued a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th. 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 2.7%. Kroger's payout ratio is presently 91.76%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on KR shares. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $78.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, June 11th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, September 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $71.31.

Kroger Profile

The Kroger Co NYSE: KR is one of the largest grocery retailers in the United States. Founded in Cincinnati in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, the company operates supermarkets, multi-department stores, pharmacies, convenience stores and fuel centers across the country.

Kroger sells a broad range of fresh foods, packaged groceries, household products, health and beauty items, prepared foods and general merchandise. Its private-label offerings include Simple Truth, Private Selection and Kroger brands.

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