Harbour Investments Inc. Acquires 51,252 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• Harbour Investments Inc. significantly boosted its Kroger stake in the fourth quarter, increasing holdings by 701.5% to 58,558 shares worth about $3.66 million.
• Institutional ownership in Kroger remains high, with other funds also adding shares and 80.93% of the stock now held by institutional investors.
• Kroger continues to face mixed fundamentals: it recently beat EPS expectations but missed revenue estimates, while analysts currently rate the stock a “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $74.87.

Harbour Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 701.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 58,558 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 51,252 shares during the period. Harbour Investments Inc.'s holdings in Kroger were worth $3,659,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Kroger by 268.1% during the fourth quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 303 shares during the period. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new position in Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Avalon Trust Co bought a new position in Kroger during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Kroger during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is moving ahead with a plan to cut prices on thousands of items, which could help protect traffic and market share as it competes more aggressively with Walmart and Costco. Kroger plans to cut prices on thousands of items to boost competitiveness, Bloomberg report says
• Positive Sentiment: Industry commentary suggesting grocery prices may rise further could support revenue, since higher shelf prices can lift sales dollars even if unit volume growth is mixed. Americans Are About to Pay Even More at the Grocery Store
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger announced the retirement of Executive Vice President and Chief Associate Experience Officer Tim Massa, adding to a recent string of senior departures under new CEO Greg Foran; investors may see this as leadership turnover during a strategic transition. Kroger announces retirement of Tim Massa, Executive Vice President and Chief Associate Experience Officer
• Neutral Sentiment: Separately, Kroger’s broader investment case still leans on its push to become a more competitive value grocer, but that strategy may take time to show up in earnings. We Want to Be America’s Best Grocer: Kroger’s Aggressive Plan to Beat Walmart and Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Shares fell sharply in the prior session as investors worried about a tougher margin backdrop from higher grocery price competition and a weak read-through from Walmart’s profit outlook. Kroger (KR) Stock Drops Despite Market Gains: Important Facts to Note
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger also faced a product recall involving croutons in 17 states over possible salmonella contamination, which could weigh on sentiment around food safety and execution. Kroger croutons recalled in 17 states over possible salmonella contamination

Kroger Stock Up 0.4%

NYSE:KR opened at $64.81 on Thursday. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $68.99 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $66.79. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $58.60 and a 52-week high of $76.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.80. The company has a market cap of $39.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.36, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.46.

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

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Kroger's dividend payout ratio is currently 91.50%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on KR. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price target on Kroger and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Wall Street Zen raised Kroger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, April 4th. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $75.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and set a $70.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $78.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $74.87.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding KR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.