Pacer Advisors Inc. Has $2.11 Million Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• Pacer Advisors cut its Kroger holdings by 54.9% in the first quarter, selling 35,534 shares and retaining 29,172 shares valued at approximately $2.11 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of Kroger’s stock.
• Kroger reported quarterly revenue of $46.12 billion, up 2.2% year over year and above estimates, but earnings per share of $1.58 narrowly missed consensus. The company raised its quarterly dividend from $0.35 to $0.39, implying a 2.8% yield.
• Shares recently opened at $56.70, near the company’s 52-week low, while analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $72 price target. Price targets range from $61 to $82.

Pacer Advisors Inc. cut its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 54.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 29,172 shares of the company's stock after selling 35,534 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Kroger were worth $2,111,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Allstate Corp raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 108.5% in the 4th quarter. Allstate Corp now owns 47,991 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,998,000 after acquiring an additional 24,976 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Kroger by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,169,425 shares of the company's stock worth $4,821,546,000 after purchasing an additional 868,529 shares during the period. Conning Inc. boosted its position in Kroger by 10,178.7% during the fourth quarter. Conning Inc. now owns 507,459 shares of the company's stock worth $31,706,000 after purchasing an additional 502,522 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH grew its holdings in Kroger by 30.6% during the fourth quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 894,217 shares of the company's stock valued at $55,946,000 after purchasing an additional 209,264 shares during the last quarter. Finally, North Dakota State Investment Board bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,299,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of KR opened at $56.70 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $59.15 and a 200-day simple moving average of $65.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.79. The Kroger Co. has a 52 week low of $54.15 and a 52 week high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The firm had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.59 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.49 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current 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 given a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. This is an increase from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger's dividend payout ratio is 82.35%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on KR shares. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $82.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, June 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Citigroup lowered their price target on Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $72.00.

Kroger Company 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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