Principal Financial Group Inc. Has $53.67 Million Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group trimmed its Kroger stake by 5.5% in the first quarter, but still owned 741,658 shares valued at about $53.7 million.
• Kroger reported quarterly earnings of $1.58 per share, slightly below estimates, while revenue came in at $46.12 billion and management kept full-year EPS guidance at 5.10 to 5.30.
• The company also boosted its dividend to $0.39 per share quarterly, even as recent coverage highlighted softer foot traffic, regulatory uncertainty around acquisition plans, and mixed analyst sentiment with a consensus Moderate Buy rating.

Principal Financial Group Inc. reduced its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 5.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 741,658 shares of the company's stock after selling 43,399 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.12% of Kroger worth $53,666,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Citizens National Bank Trust Department bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 1st quarter valued at $174,000. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Kroger by 11.0% in the first quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC now owns 17,694 shares of the company's stock worth $1,280,000 after purchasing an additional 1,753 shares during the period. Lifeworks Advisors LLC raised its stake in Kroger by 526.1% in the first quarter. Lifeworks Advisors LLC now owns 82,371 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,960,000 after purchasing an additional 69,215 shares in the last quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC lifted its position in Kroger by 14.8% during the first quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 10,865 shares of the company's stock worth $786,000 after purchasing an additional 1,404 shares during the period. Finally, Seneca House Advisors lifted its position in Kroger by 5.2% during the first quarter. Seneca House Advisors now owns 56,019 shares of the company's stock worth $4,054,000 after purchasing an additional 2,763 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger announced a partnership with Mid-Ohio Food Collective aimed at a $100,000 flash match goal, highlighting continued community engagement and brand goodwill. Kroger partners with Mid-Ohio Food Collective for $100,000 flash match goal
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is expanding its wine business with 147 new wine shops nationwide, a move that could support higher-margin sales and strengthen its premium offerings. Kroger bets on luxury wines with 147 new wine shops nationwide
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and media coverage continue to debate Kroger’s valuation, with one recent piece suggesting the stock may be trading near fair value rather than at a discount. Is Kroger (KR) Stock Trading Around Fair Value Today?
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s proposed acquisition activity is still facing regulatory review, with possible divestitures discussed, which keeps the deal story active but uncertain for investors. Kroger (KR) Awaits Giant Eagle Review As Tempo Starts Cook Never Club
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple reports of a shooting at a Cypress Kroger location, including critical injuries and an arrest, may weigh on sentiment due to safety concerns and potential reputational damage. Suspect charged after shooting inside Cypress Kroger; security expert shares tips on how to survive a violent situation
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage says Kroger foot traffic has slumped for a third straight month, suggesting softer in-store demand and pressure on near-term sales trends. Kroger foot traffic slumps, analyst says, continuing a three-month trend
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Kroger scrapped most of its Florida Harris Teeter expansion plans also point to slower growth expectations in a key market. Kroger scraps plans for 80 Harris Teeter stores in Florida, except 1

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group set a $63.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $82.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, June 19th. Ten 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.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $72.00.

Kroger Stock Performance

Kroger stock opened at $58.89 on Friday. 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 stock has a market cap of $36.08 billion, a PE ratio of 34.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.44. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $54.15 and a 12-month high of $76.58. The business's 50-day moving average price is $61.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $65.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 EPS 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 company had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.49 EPS. The firm's 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. As a group, analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. 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 payout ratio is currently 82.35%.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.