Meeder Asset Management Inc. Sells 26,763 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• Meeder Asset Management cut its Kroger position by 58.6% in Q1, selling 26,763 shares and leaving it with 18,934 shares valued at about $1.37 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but constructive: Kroger has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $72, even as some firms trimmed targets or held neutral views.
• Kroger raised its dividend to $0.39 per share quarterly, but its latest earnings slightly missed EPS estimates, though revenue came in above expectations and rose 2.2% year over year.

Meeder Asset Management Inc. lessened its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 58.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 18,934 shares of the company's stock after selling 26,763 shares during the period. Meeder Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in Kroger were worth $1,370,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new stake in Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 268.1% in the fourth quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the first quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Kroger from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Barclays set a $61.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $72.00.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of KR stock opened at $58.37 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.34, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.44. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $61.57 and a 200 day moving average of $65.57. The Kroger Co. has a 52 week low of $54.15 and a 52 week high of $76.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The company had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $45.59 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.49 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

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

Kroger 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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