The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Sold by Conning Inc.

Key Points

• Conning Inc. trimmed its Kroger stake by 4.3% in the first quarter, selling 21,976 shares and leaving it with 485,483 shares worth about $35.1 million.
• Wall Street remains mixed on Kroger: analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating, with a consensus target price of $72, though some firms recently downgraded the stock or lowered their price targets.
• Kroger reported slightly weaker-than-expected earnings of $1.58 per share on higher revenue, and it raised its quarterly dividend to $0.39 per share from $0.35, implying a 2.6% yield.

Conning Inc. lessened its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 4.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 485,483 shares of the company's stock after selling 21,976 shares during the period. Conning Inc. owned 0.08% of Kroger worth $35,130,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. grew its stake in Kroger by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. now owns 3,537 shares of the company's stock worth $221,000 after buying an additional 153 shares during the last quarter. PFG Investments LLC lifted its stake in Kroger by 3.3% in the first quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 4,899 shares of the company's stock valued at $354,000 after buying an additional 157 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 10,747 shares of the company's stock valued at $674,000 after acquiring an additional 162 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR grew its position in shares of Kroger by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 17,995 shares of the company's stock worth $1,124,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Phillips Wealth Planners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC now owns 5,348 shares of the company's stock valued at $342,000 after acquiring an additional 188 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KR has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Kroger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 20th. Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Barclays set a $61.00 price target on Kroger and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Erste Group Bank cut Kroger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price objective on Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $72.00.

Kroger Trading Up 1.2%

NYSE KR opened at $60.58 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $37.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.44. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $54.15 and a 52-week high of $76.58. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $62.52 and a 200 day moving average price of $65.73.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The company had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $45.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.49 earnings per share. Kroger's revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. This is a boost from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Kroger's payout ratio is presently 82.35%.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Traders bought an unusually large number of Kroger call options, suggesting some investors are betting on more upside in the stock. Unusual options trading on Kroger
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is moving forward with its $1.65 billion Giant Eagle deal, a major strategic move that could expand its market presence and boost long-term scale. Kroger progresses on USD 1.65 billion deal to acquire Giant Eagle
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is also investing in store upgrades, including expanding wine offerings at 147 in-store shops, which may support sales trends and customer traffic. Kroger to upgrade wine selection at 147 in-store shops
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports suggest Kroger may sell some Giant Eagle stores, especially in Columbus, as part of the broader deal. That could help with antitrust or integration issues, but it also signals potential divestitures. Kroger likely to sell some Giant Eagle stores in Columbus
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger reportedly walked back its cage-free egg pledge, which could raise questions about customer trust and ESG commitments. Kroger walks back its cage-free egg pledge

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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