National Pension Service Has $91.78 Million Stake in The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• National Pension Service increased its Kroger stake by 2.0% in the fourth quarter, ending with 1,469,005 shares valued at about $91.8 million. Institutional ownership remains very high, with about 80.93% of Kroger shares held by institutional investors.
• Wall Street is mixed but still constructive on KR. Analysts currently have a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” with an average target price of $74.87, though Wells Fargo recently downgraded the stock while others, including Jefferies and Telsey, reiterated buy/outperform views.
• Kroger reported earnings above expectations, posting $1.28 EPS versus the $1.20 consensus, while revenue came in slightly below estimates. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share, implying a 2.2% annual yield.

National Pension Service raised its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 2.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,469,005 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 29,347 shares during the period. National Pension Service owned approximately 0.23% of Kroger worth $91,783,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of KR. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Kroger by 61.1% during the third 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 during the period. Allianz Asset Management GmbH boosted its holdings in Kroger by 66.6% during the third quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 5,255,084 shares of the company's stock valued at $354,245,000 after acquiring an additional 2,100,444 shares during the period. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Kroger by 299.6% during the second quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 2,420,495 shares of the company's stock valued at $173,622,000 after acquiring an additional 1,814,721 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in Kroger by 95.6% during the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 2,434,663 shares of the company's stock valued at $174,638,000 after acquiring an additional 1,190,127 shares during the period. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. boosted its holdings in Kroger by 51.0% during the third quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 2,991,513 shares of the company's stock valued at $201,658,000 after acquiring an additional 1,010,457 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks pieces frame Kroger as potentially undervalued and a possible dividend/value pick versus Walmart, which may support investor interest in the stock. Are Investors Undervaluing The Kroger Co. (KR) Right Now?
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger received a 2026 Gold Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health for the fifth straight year, reinforcing its employer brand and suggesting continued focus on workforce stability and culture. Kroger Earns Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health for Fifth Consecutive Year
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional commentary highlights KR as a candidate for dividend-focused investors, but this is largely a reiteration of Kroger’s existing income profile rather than a fresh catalyst. Kroger (KR) Could Be a Great Choice
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry comparison articles such as KR vs. WMT are more about relative valuation than a company-specific development, so they are likely having only a limited direct impact. KR vs. WMT: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
• Negative Sentiment: A report that Kroger is facing a costly store fix after a federal lawsuit could pressure margins and raise concerns about legal and compliance-related expenses. Kroger forced to make costly store fix after federal lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: News that Kroger’s North American Ocado fulfillment centers were shut in part due to weaker-than-expected demand is a reminder of previous technology/investment missteps, which may weigh on investor confidence. UK grocer Asda taps Ocado to revamp online business
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of multiple executive departures under new CEO Greg Foran add leadership uncertainty at a time when the company is still being reshaped. Kroger loses four top executives under new CEO Greg Foran

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $82.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Roth Mkm reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $78.00 target price (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Wells Fargo & Company cut shares of Kroger from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and reduced their target price for the company from $70.00 to $68.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Telsey Advisory Group increased their target price on shares of Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $74.87.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $62.25 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.42. The firm has a market cap of $38.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.46. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $68.56 and a 200 day simple moving average of $66.75. The Kroger Co. has a fifty-two week low of $58.60 and a fifty-two week high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a net margin of 0.69% and a return on equity of 41.08%. The business had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.14 earnings per share. Kroger's revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

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. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Kroger's payout ratio is currently 91.50%.

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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