Evergreen Capital Management LLC Acquires 16,034 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• Evergreen Capital Management LLC increased its stake in The Kroger Co. by 191.8%, buying an additional 16,034 shares to hold 24,392 shares worth about $1.524 million at quarter end.
• Kroger beat quarterly EPS expectations ($1.28 vs. $1.20) but slightly missed revenue, set FY2026 guidance of 5.100–5.300 EPS (consensus ~5.24), and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 (annualized yield ~2.0%).
• Institutional ownership is high at 80.93% with several funds recently adding to positions, and analysts have a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of about $74.56.

Evergreen Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 191.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 24,392 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 16,034 shares during the period. Evergreen Capital Management LLC's holdings in Kroger were worth $1,524,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. CWM LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 43.4% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 72,244 shares of the company's stock worth $4,870,000 after buying an additional 21,876 shares during the last quarter. Liberty One Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Kroger by 85.0% during the 3rd quarter. Liberty One Investment Management LLC now owns 857,667 shares of the company's stock valued at $57,828,000 after purchasing an additional 394,060 shares during the last quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. grew its holdings in Kroger by 45.5% during the 3rd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 855,810 shares of the company's stock valued at $57,690,000 after purchasing an additional 267,434 shares during the last quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd grew its holdings in Kroger by 401.3% during the 3rd quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd now owns 19,470 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,293,000 after purchasing an additional 15,586 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Money Concepts Capital Corp grew its holdings in Kroger by 64.7% during the 3rd quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 45,267 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,051,000 after purchasing an additional 17,777 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Berkshire Hathaway vote of confidence — Warren Buffett’s firm has built Kroger into a multibillion-dollar holding, increasing the position since 2019; that continued institutional endorsement supports investor sentiment and valuation. Why Does Kroger (KR) Has Warren Buffett’s Confidence Since 2019?
• Positive Sentiment: Retail partnerships and assortment: Beyond Meat’s nationwide launch of its new Beyond Chicken Pieces at 2,000+ Kroger stores can drive incremental sales in plant‑based categories and strengthens Kroger’s center-store differentiation. Beyond Meat® Launches New Beyond Chicken® Pieces Spicy Buffalo at Kroger Stores Nationwide
• Positive Sentiment: Workforce and execution focus — Kroger earned recognition for career progression and launched Pearl Street Academy to improve retention and internal mobility; investors view this as lowering execution risk and supporting margins over time. Kroger Workforce Push And Valuation Gap Draw Investor Attention
• Neutral Sentiment: Promotions and marketing — Kroger’s “Online Deal Days” short-term sales event can boost near-term e‑commerce volume, but its impact on margins and sticky sales is uncertain. Kroger launches 'Online Deal Days' event with special discounts on groceries
• Neutral Sentiment: Local growth/planning items — A planning commission approved a Kroger + apartment project (mixed long‑term benefit via foot traffic, short‑term limited impact). Planning Commission approves Kroger, apartment building on 14 Mile Road
• Neutral Sentiment: Promotional tie‑ins — In‑store promotions (e.g., Hot Wheels collector campaign) and community volunteer programs are brand‑positive but unlikely to move fundamentals materially. Score A Hot Wheels Collector Edition 1991 GMC Syclone By Shopping At Kroger
• Negative Sentiment: Store closures and executive changes — Local reports of recent store closures and a notable shakeup in executive ranks can raise near‑term execution concerns and raise questions about growth cadence. Kroger made biggest shakeup in more than a decade in store count, executive officers over past year
• Negative Sentiment: Operational disruption — Isolated incidents such as a false bomb threat and evacuations are negative PR but have limited long‑term impact unless they recur at scale. Man charged after false bomb threat forces Kroger evacuation in Fountain City

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

KR has been the topic of several analyst reports. Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $78.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a "market perform" rating and set a $70.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Kroger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $75.00 price target on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $74.56.

Kroger Price Performance

Kroger stock opened at $69.13 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $42.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.42. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $58.60 and a 1 year high of $76.58. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $70.64 and a two-hundred day moving average of $66.82.

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

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Kroger's dividend payout ratio is presently 91.50%.

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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