Korea Investment CORP Decreases Stake in The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• Korea Investment CORP reduced its Kroger stake by 15.3% in Q3, selling 108,653 shares and finishing the quarter with 603,279 shares worth about $40.7M (≈0.09% of the company).
• Kroger beat EPS estimates ($1.28 vs. $1.20) but slightly missed revenue expectations; management set FY2026 guidance of 5.10–5.30 EPS and the company pays a $0.35 quarterly dividend (1.9% yield) with a high payout ratio (91.5%).
• Institutional ownership is high (~80.9%); analysts are split (8 Buys, 8 Holds) with a consensus "Moderate Buy" and an average target of about $74.56, while the stock trades near its 12‑month high.

Korea Investment CORP lowered its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 15.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 603,279 shares of the company's stock after selling 108,653 shares during the quarter. Korea Investment CORP owned 0.09% of Kroger worth $40,667,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich bought a new position in Kroger during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $6,217,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Kroger by 100.8% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 20,158 shares of the company's stock worth $1,359,000 after buying an additional 10,117 shares during the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Kroger by 23.5% during the third quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 8,114 shares of the company's stock valued at $547,000 after buying an additional 1,546 shares during the period. Gabelli Funds LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 1.5% during the third quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 199,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $13,415,000 after acquiring an additional 3,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marietta Investment Partners LLC lifted its stake in Kroger by 9.6% in the third quarter. Marietta Investment Partners LLC now owns 110,769 shares of the company's stock worth $7,467,000 after acquiring an additional 9,664 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger re-launches its large "Customer Appreciation Week" promotion (March 11–17), which should drive traffic and short-term same-store-sales and margin opportunities from exclusive deal drops. Kroger Brings Back Customer Appreciation Week with Special Savings
• Positive Sentiment: CEO-elect Rodney Foran is publicly bullish on Kroger’s prospects ("has all the ingredients to win"), signaling continuity on growth and merchandising execution that investors typically view as supportive for longer-term revenue and margin improvement. Kroger has ‘all the ingredients to win,’ new CEO Foran says
• Positive Sentiment: Market signals show bullish positioning: heavy call-option buying suggests some traders expect upside in the near term. Stock Traders Buy High Volume of Call Options on Kroger NYSE: KR
• Positive Sentiment: Roth MKM reiterated a "Buy" on KR, providing analyst-level support that can counterbalance neutral/negative takes. Kroger's (KR) "Buy" Rating Reiterated at Roth Mkm
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target from $68 to $71 but kept a "Neutral" rating — a modest upward revision that still sits below Kroger's current price, signaling limited immediate upside from this update. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Sen. John Boozman purchased Kroger shares — a small, non-company insider signal that may draw attention but is unlikely to move fundamentals. Sen. John Boozman Purchases Shares of The Kroger Co. NYSE: KR
• Negative Sentiment: Supermarket News highlights concerns that working conditions could worsen under the new CEO — labor tensions or morale issues raise the risk of higher costs, union friction or operational disruptions. SN top 10: Will working conditions worsen at Kroger under new CEO?
• Negative Sentiment: A report links a popular frozen chicken sold at Kroger (and Trader Joe’s) to possible glass contamination — a product-safety story that can prompt recalls, erode consumer trust and hit near-term sales and costs if confirmed. This popular frozen chicken from Trader Joe’s and Kroger may have glass in it

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating and set a $78.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Barclays reaffirmed a "positive" rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company downgraded shares of Kroger from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $70.00 to $68.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $74.56.

Kroger Price Performance

KR opened at $73.46 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The company has a market cap of $46.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.62. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $65.57 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $65.86. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $58.60 and a 12-month high of $74.90.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $34.73 billion for 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 company's quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.14 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Research analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were issued a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. Kroger's dividend payout ratio is 91.50%.

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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