The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Purchased by Alta Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Alta Capital Management LLC increased its Kroger stake by 201.7% in the fourth quarter, buying 32,770 additional shares and bringing its total to 49,020 shares valued at about $3.06 million.
• Kroger reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $1.28 per share, topping estimates, though revenue came in slightly below forecasts at $34.73 billion.
• The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share, payable June 1, which works out to an annualized yield of about 2.1%.

Alta Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 201.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 49,020 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 32,770 shares during the quarter. Alta Capital Management LLC's holdings in Kroger were worth $3,063,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of KR. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 268.1% in the 4th quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. Avalon Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 490 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 245 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Kroger Stock Up 3.4%

Kroger stock opened at $68.24 on Tuesday. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $58.60 and a twelve month high of $76.58. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $69.93 and a two-hundred day moving average of $66.64. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $41.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.60, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.46.

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 analysts' consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The company had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $35.10 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.14 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

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

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is promoting Memorial Day grilling deals and a 4X Fuel Points event, which could drive traffic, boost basket sizes, and support near-term sales at its stores. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The Kroger Queen City Championship continued to keep the Kroger name in the spotlight after Lottie Woad won the LPGA event, giving the company additional brand visibility. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage and local features about Kroger stores, cookout ideas, and a celebrity appearance are mostly promotional and unlikely to materially move the stock on their own. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary is highlighting Kroger’s lower valuation versus peers, which may support investor sentiment but does not change fundamentals by itself. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Another senior executive departure adds to leadership turnover concerns and could make investors question management stability. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger’s $100 million refrigeration settlement tied to alleged EPA violations raises costs, increases regulatory scrutiny, and may weigh on long-term cash flow. Article Title

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on KR shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, March 27th. Wolfe Research reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $75.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Roth Mkm reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $78.00 price objective (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, March 6th. Barclays reiterated a "positive" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Eight investment 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 stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $74.56.

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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