Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich Acquires 107,067 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• Munich Reinsurance increased its Kroger stake by 5,391.1% in the second quarter, acquiring 107,067 additional shares for a total holding of 109,053 shares valued at approximately $6.1 million.
• Institutional investors own 80.93% of Kroger, while analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $71.75.
• Kroger reported quarterly revenue of $46.12 billion, up 2.2% year over year, but narrowly missed EPS estimates; it also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.39 per share. Analysts flagged potential pressure on identical sales ahead of the next earnings report.

Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich boosted its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 5,391.1% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 109,053 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 107,067 shares during the quarter. Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich's holdings in Kroger were worth $6,056,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Kroger in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,016,956,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at $470,561,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in Kroger in the second quarter valued at about $284,501,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in Kroger in the second quarter worth about $195,234,000. Finally, Nykredit A S bought a new stake in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth about $157,533,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KR has been the topic of several recent research reports. Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday. HC Wainwright reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $71.75.

Kroger Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $58.62 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $35.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.41. 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 business has a 50-day moving average of $57.71 and a two-hundred day moving average of $64.05. 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 issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. Kroger's revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.49 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th were given a dividend of $0.39 per share. 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%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th. Kroger's payout ratio is currently 91.76%.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street analysts remain broadly optimistic on Kroger, although the articles do not indicate a major new upgrade. Positive sentiment may provide some support ahead of the earnings release. Is Kroger a Buy as Wall Street Analysts Look Optimistic?
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger appointed Mark Ibbotson, a Walmart veteran who helped lead the rollout of Walmart’s e-commerce platform, as executive vice president and chief store operations officer. His retail and digital experience could support store execution and online growth. Kroger taps Walmart tech veteran as store operations chief
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger is expected to report fiscal second-quarter results on September 11. Analysts anticipate earnings growth, but current valuation commentary describes the shares as fairly valued rather than an obvious bargain. Kroger Reports Q2 Earnings Next Week
• Neutral Sentiment: The company reportedly announced a $1.65 billion grocery acquisition. The deal could expand Kroger’s footprint, but investors may remain cautious because Kroger is still involved in litigation related to its prior merger effort and faces regulatory scrutiny. Kroger Is Buying Another Grocery Chain While Still in Court
• Negative Sentiment: Oppenheimer warned that fiscal second-quarter identical sales could fall short of market expectations amid a challenging grocery environment. Consumer uncertainty is also weighing on the outlook. Kroger Could Miss Quarterly Identical Sales Views
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks said Kroger lacks the typical combination of earnings and estimate-revision trends that often precedes a quarterly earnings beat, increasing the risk of a disappointing report. Kroger Earnings Expected to Grow

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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