OLD National Bancorp IN Reduces Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• OLD National Bancorp IN cut its Kroger stake by 66.4% in the first quarter, leaving it with 42,948 shares valued at about $3.1 million.
• Kroger reported mixed quarterly results: EPS of $1.58 missed estimates by a penny, while revenue of $46.12 billion topped expectations and rose 2.2% year over year.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend by 11% to $0.39 per share, lifting the annualized payout to $1.56 and the yield to about 2.7%.

OLD National Bancorp IN reduced its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 66.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 42,948 shares of the company's stock after selling 84,984 shares during the quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN's holdings in Kroger were worth $3,108,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of KR. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,169,425 shares of the company's stock worth $4,821,546,000 after buying an additional 868,529 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 61.1% during 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 acquiring an additional 12,652,261 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its holdings in Kroger by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 31,948,112 shares of the company's stock worth $2,153,622,000 after acquiring an additional 386,503 shares in the last quarter. GQG Partners LLC raised its stake in Kroger by 11.3% during the 4th quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 13,398,072 shares of the company's stock worth $837,113,000 after acquiring an additional 1,360,946 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Kroger by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 12,242,401 shares of the company's stock valued at $764,932,000 after purchasing an additional 122,606 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Kroger Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $57.84 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $35.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.02, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.42. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $64.45 and a 200-day moving average price of $66.06. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $55.60 and a twelve month high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.49 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a 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 dividend payout ratio is presently 91.76%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on KR shares. Barclays set a $61.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Wall Street Zen lowered Kroger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 20th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 price target on Kroger in a report on Monday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $82.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, June 19th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $71.94.

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger raised its quarterly dividend by 11% to $0.39 per share, signaling confidence in cash flow and extending its record of annual dividend increases. Kroger's Board of Directors Raises Quarterly Dividend by 11%
• Positive Sentiment: The company expanded its rewards program so shoppers can now redeem points for dollars off groceries in-store and online, not just fuel discounts, which could help boost customer retention and spending frequency. Kroger Rewards Program Expands with New Ways to Save
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger also announced additional loyalty-program enhancements and promotional tie-ins, including fuel points being usable for groceries, reinforcing its value proposition at a time when consumers remain price-sensitive. Kroger expands loyalty program: What you need to know
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger updated board leadership and director compensation, but the move appears administrative and is unlikely to materially affect near-term fundamentals. Kroger Updates Board Leadership Role and Director Compensation
• Neutral Sentiment: Management is leaning into seasonal merchandising and marketing around July 4th, which supports sales but is not a major new catalyst. Kroger Fires Up Fourth of July Celebrations with Trending "Flight" Food Experiences
• Negative Sentiment: A recalled chicken product over allergens is a consumer-safety issue that could create reputational noise, though the direct financial impact looks limited. Kroger, Fred Meyer chicken recalled over allergens

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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