The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Sold by AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc

Key Points

• AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc cut its Kroger stake by 68.2% in Q4, selling 362,799 shares and retaining 169,428 shares valued at about $10.59 million per its SEC filing.
• Kroger reported Q4 EPS of $1.28 (beating estimates by $0.08) but missed revenue at $34.73 billion, posted a thin net margin of 0.69% and a high debt-to-equity of 2.66, and set FY2026 guidance of 5.10–5.30 EPS.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.35 (2.1% yield), analysts carry a consensus "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $74.56, and institutional investors own about 80.93% of the stock.

AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc lowered its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 68.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 169,428 shares of the company's stock after selling 362,799 shares during the quarter. AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc's holdings in Kroger were worth $10,588,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Kroger by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,169,425 shares of the company's stock worth $4,821,546,000 after buying an additional 868,529 shares in the last quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Kroger by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC now owns 55,239 shares of the company's stock worth $3,451,000 after buying an additional 665 shares in the last quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Kroger by 90.0% during the fourth quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 17,724 shares of the company's stock worth $1,107,000 after buying an additional 8,398 shares in the last quarter. Calamos Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger during the fourth quarter worth $314,000. Finally, Dupree Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger during the fourth quarter worth $6,065,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on KR shares. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded shares of Kroger from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $70.00 to $68.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Barclays reissued a "positive" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, February 9th. Wolfe Research reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $75.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Kroger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $75.00 price target on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $74.56.

Key Headlines 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.

Kroger Price Performance

Kroger stock opened at $67.26 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $58.60 and a 12-month high of $76.58. The stock has a market cap of $41.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.96, a PEG ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $70.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $66.83. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66.

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

Kroger Announces Dividend

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

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.

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.