North Dakota State Investment Board Invests $1.30 Million in The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• North Dakota State Investment Board initiated a new position in Kroger, buying 20,795 shares worth about $1.3 million in the fourth quarter.
• Kroger reported better-than-expected earnings for the latest quarter, posting $1.28 per share versus the $1.20 consensus, though revenue came in slightly below estimates at $34.73 billion.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share, equal to a 2.0% annualized yield, while analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with a consensus target price of $74.87.

North Dakota State Investment Board purchased a new position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 20,795 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,299,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Kroger by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,169,425 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,821,546,000 after buying an additional 868,529 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in Kroger by 61.1% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 33,367,551 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,249,307,000 after buying an additional 12,652,261 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in Kroger by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 31,948,112 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,153,622,000 after buying an additional 386,503 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in Kroger by 15.8% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 6,327,182 shares of the company's stock valued at $426,515,000 after buying an additional 865,559 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH grew its stake in Kroger by 66.6% in the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 5,255,084 shares of the company's stock valued at $354,245,000 after buying an additional 2,100,444 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Kroger Trading Up 3.4%

Kroger stock opened at $70.64 on Wednesday. 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 business has a 50 day moving average price of $69.85 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $66.67. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $58.60 and a 12 month high of $76.58. The stock has a market cap of $43.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.46.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.14 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Kroger's payout ratio is 91.50%.

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger was included in the 2026 Axios Harris Poll 100, highlighting its strong visibility and trust with consumers, which can reinforce the stock’s defensive appeal. Axios Harris Poll Names Kroger One of America's Most Visible and Trusted Companies
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger continues to promote traffic-driving initiatives like Memorial Day savings and a 4X Fuel Points event, supporting near-term customer engagement and store visits. Kroger Helps Customers Celebrate Memorial Day with Savings on Grilling Favorites and 4X Fuel Points Event
• Positive Sentiment: Juni expanded across Kroger family banners and surpassed 8,000 retail doors, indicating continued partner expansion and shelf presence across Kroger’s network. Juni Surpasses 8,000 Retail Doors, Expands Across Kroger Family Banners
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles about digital coupons, grocery savings, and Kroger-branded holiday shopping reflect ongoing consumer interest, but do not appear to change the company’s fundamentals on their own.
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger was mentioned in a salmonella-related snack food recall article, which could create a small overhang if consumers associate the issue with product safety at the retailer. Kroger gets swept up in the growing wave of Salmonella snack food recalls
• Negative Sentiment: A report on another Kroger executive departure may raise questions about leadership turnover, though the impact looks limited unless more exits follow. Another Kroger executive departs

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on KR. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Kroger from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and lowered their target price for the company from $70.00 to $68.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $82.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Barclays reiterated a "positive" rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $74.87.

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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