The Kroger Co. $KR Position Raised by B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG

Key Points

• B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG raised its Kroger stake by 137.4% in Q4 to 69,119 shares (about $4.32M), while overall institutional ownership stands around 80.9% with other funds (notably KLP) also adding sizable positions.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive with a consensus of "Moderate Buy" (nine Buys vs. eight Holds) and an average target of $74.56, with recent upgrades and targets up to $82 reinforcing momentum.
• Kroger slightly beat Q results on EPS but missed revenue, carries a high debt/equity ratio (~2.66), set FY26 guidance of $5.10–$5.30 EPS, and declared a $0.35 quarterly dividend (≈2.1% yield).

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG raised its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 137.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 69,119 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 40,000 shares during the quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG's holdings in Kroger were worth $4,323,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Kanawha Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Kroger during the fourth quarter worth about $300,000. EPG Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Kroger by 6.0% during the 4th quarter. EPG Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,714 shares of the company's stock valued at $669,000 after acquiring an additional 607 shares in the last quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Kroger by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 21,518 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,344,000 after acquiring an additional 550 shares in the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 84,905 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,305,000 after buying an additional 3,795 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS grew its position in Kroger by 25.2% in the fourth quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 494,325 shares of the company's stock worth $30,885,000 after acquiring an additional 99,600 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KR has been the topic of several analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets restated a "market perform" rating and set a $70.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Erste Group Bank started coverage on Kroger in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. They set a "buy" rating for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Kroger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $75.00 target price for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Barclays restated a "positive" rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group upped their target price on Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Kroger presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $74.56.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of KR stock opened at $67.26 on Friday. The stock's fifty day moving average is $70.56 and its 200-day moving average is $66.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $41.20 billion, a PE ratio of 43.96, a PEG ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.55. The Kroger Co. has a 52 week low of $58.60 and a 52 week high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $35.10 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.14 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Kroger's payout ratio is currently 91.50%.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is boosting customer value with targeted promotions and pricing initiatives (Online Deal Days and other savings) to protect market share amid rising grocery costs. Kroger launches online deal days amid rising food costs
• Positive Sentiment: Retail footprint and store investment: multiple store remodels and a new, large Kroger Marketplace (Mechanicsville) signal continued capital reinvestment to drive sales and compete with big-box rivals. Kroger Completes $2M Store Remodel in Illinois
• Positive Sentiment: Grocery + fuel strategy: reporting and analysis highlight Kroger’s gas pricing competitiveness vs. Costco and Walmart — a differentiated traffic driver that can protect basket spend. Kroger quietly builds a massive gas edge over Costco, Walmart
• Positive Sentiment: New product partnerships and assortment expansion (Beyond Meat nationwide rollout in 2,000+ stores; Rancher’s Premium Smokehouse products hitting Kroger shelves) support incremental sales and fresh inventory buzz. Rancher’s Premium Smokehouse Teams Up with Kroger
• Neutral Sentiment: Workforce and talent initiatives (Pearl Street Academy, Platinum workforce rating, expanded associate education) are long-term positives for retention but increase near-term operating investment. How Kroger’s New Shelf Registration and Workforce Push Could Shape Kroger (KR) Investors’ Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger filed an omnibus shelf registration (debt, preferred/common, warrants) — provides financing flexibility but raises the possibility of future issuance that investors will watch closely. Shelf registration article
• Neutral Sentiment: Community initiatives (drug take-back events across multiple states) support brand and local engagement but are unlikely to move near-term financials. Kroger hosting drug take back events across metro Atlanta
• Negative Sentiment: Financial/valuation concerns: last quarter Kroger beat EPS modestly but missed revenue estimates, reported thin net margins and carries elevated debt-to-equity — investors may be selling into the company’s continued investment cycle and the risk of margin pressure from inflation and higher associate costs.

About Kroger

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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