iA Global Asset Management Inc. Sells 28,497 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• iA Global Asset Management sharply reduced its Kroger stake in the first quarter, selling 28,497 shares and cutting its position by 91%. The firm ended the period with just 2,802 shares worth about $203,000.
• Institutional ownership remains high, with 80.93% of Kroger shares held by institutions, and major holders like Vanguard, Wellington, and State Street increased or maintained large positions.
• Kroger is drawing mixed Wall Street views: analysts currently rate the stock a “Moderate Buy” on average, while recent price targets ranged from $63 to $80. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.39 per share, boosting the annualized yield to about 2.7%.

iA Global Asset Management Inc. trimmed its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 91.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,802 shares of the company's stock after selling 28,497 shares during the quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in Kroger were worth $203,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of KR. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Kroger by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,169,425 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,821,546,000 after acquiring an additional 868,529 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in Kroger by 61.1% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 33,367,551 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,249,307,000 after acquiring an additional 12,652,261 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Kroger by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 31,948,112 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,153,622,000 after purchasing an additional 386,503 shares during the last quarter. GQG Partners LLC boosted its stake in Kroger by 11.3% during the 4th quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 13,398,072 shares of the company's stock valued at $837,113,000 after purchasing an additional 1,360,946 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 12,242,401 shares of the company's stock worth $764,932,000 after purchasing an additional 122,606 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $80.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. UBS Group set a $63.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Kroger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 20th. Ten equities research 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 stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $71.94.

Kroger Stock Performance

KR opened at $58.12 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $63.32 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $65.85. 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 has a market cap of $35.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.19, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.44. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $54.15 and a 1-year high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 EPS 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.49 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be given a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This is a positive change from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. Kroger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 82.35%.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s Giant Eagle purchase could expand its presence in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, adding about 197 stores and roughly $9 billion in annual revenue while strengthening scale and market share. The Kroger Co. set to purchase Giant Eagle Inc.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have described the deal as margin-stable and potentially EPS-accretive, and Guggenheim reaffirmed a buy rating with a $71 price target, signaling confidence in Kroger’s expansion strategy. Kroger’s $1.65bn Giant Eagle Deal Seen as Margin‑Stable, EPS‑Accretive Growth Catalyst Supporting Buy Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: The acquisition is expected to close in 2027 and still needs regulatory approval, so execution risk remains a factor even though the deal appears smaller and less complex than the blocked Albertsons transaction. Kroger Thinks Smaller With $1.65B Giant Eagle Buy After Albertsons Merger Fizzled
• Neutral Sentiment: New coverage also highlighted Kroger’s ongoing focus on retail media, e-commerce, and broader omnichannel growth, which supports the long-term investment case but does not by itself change near-term fundamentals. 2 Supermarket Stocks Set to Thrive Despite Industry Headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Some investor reaction is cautious because the grocery sector remains competitive and consolidation deals can bring regulatory, financial, and integration risks, especially after Kroger’s prior merger attempt failed. Kroger just shook up the supermarket landscape

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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