The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Sold by Asset Management One Co. Ltd.

Key Points

• Asset Management One Co. Ltd. reduced its Kroger stake by 13.4% in the third quarter, selling 47,017 shares and retaining 303,389 shares valued at approximately $17.8 million. Institutional investors collectively own 80.93% of Kroger.
• Kroger reported quarterly earnings of $1.09 per share, exceeding analysts’ $1.05 estimate, while revenue reached $34.62 billion and rose 2% year over year. The company provided fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $5.10 to $5.30.
• Kroger declared a quarterly dividend of $0.39 per share, equivalent to an annualized $1.56 payout and a 2.3% yield. Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $70.35, while EVP Mary Adcock separately sold 72,901 shares.

Asset Management One Co. Ltd. decreased its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 13.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 303,389 shares of the company's stock after selling 47,017 shares during the quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. owned 0.05% of Kroger worth $17,785,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. PFG Investments LLC boosted its stake in Kroger by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 4,899 shares of the company's stock valued at $354,000 after buying an additional 157 shares in the last quarter. ROI Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in Kroger by 2.0% in the first quarter. ROI Financial Advisors LLC now owns 8,943 shares of the company's stock valued at $647,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares during the period. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. raised its stake in Kroger by 2.7% during the first quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 6,768 shares of the company's stock worth $490,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Wedmont Private Capital raised its stake in Kroger by 1.9% during the third quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 10,088 shares of the company's stock worth $620,000 after acquiring an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 5.4% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 4,070 shares of the company's stock valued at $226,000 after acquiring an additional 207 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Kroger Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $66.73 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $39.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.36. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $54.15 and a 1 year high of $76.58. The business has a 50-day moving average of $60.63 and a two-hundred day moving average of $63.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.31.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $34.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.64 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.73% and a return on equity of 49.90%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.04 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.20 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be issued a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 16th. Kroger's dividend payout ratio is presently 84.78%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KR has been the topic of several analyst reports. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $68.00 target price (up from $66.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Wells Fargo & Company set a $60.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, September 14th. Evercore set a $70.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Finally, Roth Capital reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $73.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Twelve research 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 currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $70.35.

Insider Activity at Kroger

In other news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total value of $4,425,090.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 175,233 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,636,643.10. This trade represents a 29.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger plans to invest approximately $5 billion through 2029 to lower everyday prices and simplify promotions. Management also expects e-commerce to eventually represent about 30% of sales, potentially strengthening customer traffic and digital growth. Kroger Says It Will Spend $5 Billion Through 2029 Lowering Prices
• Positive Sentiment: The company is accelerating direct sourcing to improve cost visibility and control, which could support margins over time despite the near-term expense of lower prices. Kroger Accelerates Direct Sourcing Efforts
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity indicates increased bullish speculative interest: 36,862 calls traded, compared with typical volume of about 15,056. This is a sentiment indicator rather than a change to Kroger’s fundamentals.
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger agreed to acquire Giant Eagle in a proposed $1.65 billion cash-and-stock transaction. Combining loyalty programs, pharmacy records and digital platforms could create data and operating synergies, but privacy concerns surrounding purchasing, behavioral and location data may increase regulatory and reputational risk. Kroger Just Put $1.65 Billion Behind a Data Privacy Test
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger and Albertsons are concluding witness testimony in Delaware litigation over their failed merger. The case could result in additional costs or damages and keeps scrutiny on Kroger’s prior consolidation strategy. Albertsons and Kroger Fighting in Court Over Failed Merger
• Negative Sentiment: Albertsons is promoting a lower-cost annual membership program, potentially intensifying competition for value-conscious grocery shoppers alongside Walmart and Amazon. Albertsons Has a New Advantage for Grocery Shoppers

Kroger Profile

The Kroger Co is a U.S. food and grocery retailer headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883, the company operates supermarkets under banners that include Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, King Soopers, Fry's, Harris Teeter and Smith's, among others.

Kroger's business includes the sale of fresh food, groceries, general merchandise, household products and health and beauty items. Many of its stores also provide pharmacy services and fuel centers. The company offers digital shopping, pickup and delivery services, loyalty programs and a range of private-label products, including Simple Truth, Private Selection and Kroger-branded products.

Kroger primarily serves customers across the United States, with stores concentrated in the Midwest, South, West and parts of the Mid-Atlantic region.

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