Royal Fund Management LLC Increases Stake in The Kroger Co. $KR

Royal Fund Management LLC boosted its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 86.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 50,500 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 23,400 shares during the period. Royal Fund Management LLC's holdings in Kroger were worth $3,654,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of KR. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in Kroger by 27.3% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,733 shares of the company's stock valued at $962,000 after acquiring an additional 3,373 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP grew its position in shares of Kroger by 40.7% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 56,243 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,807,000 after purchasing an additional 16,270 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth about $201,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Kroger by 11.5% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 97,288 shares of the company's stock worth $6,978,000 after purchasing an additional 10,051 shares during the period. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC purchased a new position in Kroger during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,840,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented 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 report on Friday, June 19th. Evercore restated an "outperform" rating and set a $78.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 price objective on Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $80.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 price target on Kroger and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $72.00.

Kroger Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $59.94 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $60.24 and its 200-day moving average price is $65.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $36.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 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.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last posted 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). The firm had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.49 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be given a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. This is an increase from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger's dividend payout ratio is currently 82.35%.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger launched an AI Shopping Assistant that creates meal plans and digital shopping carts based on customers’ budgets, dietary needs, recipes, shopping lists and online links. The back-to-school timing could support engagement, digital sales and customer retention. Kroger Helps Families Simplify Back-to-Routine Season with Fresh, Convenient Meals and a Smarter Way to Shop
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger and Instacart reportedly generated higher retail-media returns on investment than Amazon. Stronger advertising economics could help Kroger monetize shopper data and loyalty activity while supporting margins.
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s recognition for award-winning Murray’s cheeses may reinforce its premium-food positioning and differentiate its stores, although the direct financial impact is likely limited. Kroger wins big with these award-winning Murray's cheeses
• Neutral Sentiment: The AI launch is strategically promising, but investors will need evidence that adoption increases basket size, shopping frequency or digital profitability rather than merely adding technology costs. Kroger Helps Families Simplify Back-to-Routine Season with Fresh, Convenient Meals and a Smarter Way to Shop
• Negative Sentiment: Numerator data indicated that Kroger and Albertsons lost grocery-market share over the past year, while Costco, Amazon and Walmart gained share. This points to persistent competitive pressure on traffic, pricing power and margins. Kroger and Albertsons continue to see their market share contract
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger reportedly delayed its cage-free egg target after previously promising to reach it by 2025. The reversal could create reputational risk with customers and sustainability-focused investors, while potentially signaling higher implementation costs or supply constraints. Kroger promised cage-free eggs by 2025. It quietly pushed back the goal

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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