Picton Mahoney Asset Management Buys 15,802 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• Picton Mahoney Asset Management dramatically increased its Kroger stake—buying 15,802 shares in Q3 for a total holding of 15,822 shares, a reported 79,010.0% increase valued at about $1.07 million.
• Kroger posted a Q4 adjusted EPS beat ($1.28 vs. $1.20 consensus) with eCommerce up ~20%, and management set FY2026 guidance of $5.10–$5.30 while the board approved an additional $2 billion buyback, boosting shareholder-return expectations.
• Institutional ownership is heavy (~80.93%), with major moves including Norges Bank’s new $518M stake and large increases from Allianz, Nordea, BNY Mellon and Franklin Resources, underscoring strong institutional interest.

Picton Mahoney Asset Management raised its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 79,010.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 15,822 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 15,802 shares during the period. Picton Mahoney Asset Management's holdings in Kroger were worth $1,066,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of KR. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 2nd quarter valued at $518,267,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH increased its holdings in Kroger by 66.6% in the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 5,255,084 shares of the company's stock worth $354,245,000 after purchasing an additional 2,100,444 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its position in Kroger by 6.0% in the third quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 4,680,219 shares of the company's stock valued at $311,843,000 after purchasing an additional 265,127 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 1.0% during the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,309,093 shares of the company's stock valued at $290,476,000 after purchasing an additional 41,904 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 7.9% during the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,126,866 shares of the company's stock worth $296,028,000 after purchasing an additional 300,784 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat on profitability metrics: Kroger reported adjusted EPS that topped consensus, with gross-margin improvement and eCommerce sales up ~20%, which supported the stock's strength. Kroger Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results and Announces Guidance for 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Upbeat capital return & FY26 profitability guide: management set FY2026 adjusted EPS guidance ($5.10–$5.30) above consensus and the board approved an additional $2B buyback (on top of prior ASR activity), boosting shareholder-return expectations. Kroger Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results and Announces Guidance for 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness: Telsey Advisory raised its price target to $82 and kept an “Outperform” rating, giving another near-term catalyst for buyers. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic pivot under new CEO: Greg Foran emphasized sharper pricing, AI and eCommerce acceleration and an eCommerce strategic review expected to materially improve operating profit — a growth narrative investors liked. Kroger’s New CEO Bets on Deals, AI and eCommerce to Boost Sales
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed market take: coverage notes strong margin/earnings execution but also a cautious tone in guidance and institutional selling — a balanced view that can limit upside until execution proves out. Why Kroger Stock Could Keep Climbing Even After Record Highs
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue slight miss: top-line came in a touch below consensus (fuel-adjusted comps modestly positive), so growth remains tepid even as margins expand — explains mixed headlines. Kroger extended its streak of sales misses — but that’s not hurting its profits
• Negative Sentiment: Labor & legal risk: Kroger faces class-action suits over e-commerce role classification and union friction (Teamsters statements), which are ongoing operational/legal risks that investors monitor. Kroger hit with 2 lawsuits over e-commerce role classification
• Negative Sentiment: Operational/headline items: reports of store closures/layoffs and product recalls add episodic risk and reputational noise that can pressure sentiment. 143-year-old grocery chain closes more locations, lays off dozens

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on KR. Citigroup reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $68.00 price objective (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Kroger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, December 27th. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price target on shares of Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday. Barclays reissued a "positive" rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Evercore set a $77.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $74.19.

Kroger Stock Up 5.3%

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $71.61 on Friday. The company's 50 day moving average price is $65.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $65.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.88. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $58.60 and a 52-week high of $74.90. The company has a market capitalization of $45.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 66.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.62.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a net margin of 0.54% and a return on equity of 38.06%. The company had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $35.10 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company 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. Equities analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were given a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Kroger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 129.63%.

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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