iA Global Asset Management Inc. Sells 39,180 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• iA Global Asset Management cut its Kroger stake by 55.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 39,180 shares and leaving it with 31,299 shares worth about $1.96 million.
• Kroger recently beat earnings expectations with Q4 EPS of $1.28 versus the $1.20 consensus, while revenue rose 1.2% year over year to $34.73 billion.
• The company also maintained investor appeal with a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share, though its payout ratio is high at 91.5% and analysts currently rate the stock a consensus Hold.

iA Global Asset Management Inc. trimmed its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 55.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 31,299 shares of the company's stock after selling 39,180 shares during the period. iA Global Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in Kroger were worth $1,956,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. boosted its position in Kroger by 45.5% in 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 buying an additional 267,434 shares during the last quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd boosted its position in Kroger by 401.3% in the 3rd quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd now owns 19,470 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,293,000 after buying an additional 15,586 shares during the last quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp boosted its position in Kroger by 64.7% in the 3rd quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 45,267 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,051,000 after buying an additional 17,777 shares during the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH boosted its position in Kroger by 7.0% in the 3rd quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 684,953 shares of the company's stock valued at $46,173,000 after buying an additional 44,619 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Longbow Finance SA bought a new position in Kroger in the 3rd quarter valued at $7,115,000. 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: Kroger is promoting Memorial Day grilling deals and a 4X Fuel Points event, which could drive traffic, boost basket sizes, and support near-term sales at its stores. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The Kroger Queen City Championship continued to keep the Kroger name in the spotlight after Lottie Woad won the LPGA event, giving the company additional brand visibility. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage and local features about Kroger stores, cookout ideas, and a celebrity appearance are mostly promotional and unlikely to materially move the stock on their own. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary is highlighting Kroger’s lower valuation versus peers, which may support investor sentiment but does not change fundamentals by itself. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Another senior executive departure adds to leadership turnover concerns and could make investors question management stability. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger’s $100 million refrigeration settlement tied to alleged EPA violations raises costs, increases regulatory scrutiny, and may weigh on long-term cash flow. Article Title

Kroger Stock Up 3.4%

NYSE:KR opened at $68.24 on Tuesday. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $58.60 and a 12-month high of $76.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.46. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $69.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $66.64.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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. The business had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The firm's revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.14 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced 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 is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Kroger's payout ratio is currently 91.50%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

KR has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price target on Kroger and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $82.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered Kroger from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $70.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Wolfe Research restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $75.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $74.56.

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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