The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Sold by First Trust Advisors LP

First Trust Advisors LP decreased its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 52.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 173,307 shares of the company's stock after selling 190,677 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP's holdings in Kroger were worth $12,540,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger during the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new position in Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 268.1% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the first quarter valued at about $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. UBS Group set a $63.00 price target on Kroger and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Erste Group Bank downgraded Kroger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $82.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, June 19th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, June 1st. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $72.00.

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is expanding its store footprint, including a planned replacement store in Dunwoody, Georgia, and a roughly $40 million location in Little Elm, Texas. These investments could support long-term sales growth and market share. Dunwoody approves new Kroger store Kroger spends $40 million on new Little Elm store
• Positive Sentiment: A grocery price study ranked Kroger ahead of Walmart, Aldi and Albertsons, potentially reinforcing its value proposition as consumers remain price-sensitive. Kroger tops grocery price study
• Positive Sentiment: The company introduced an AI shopping assistant for meal planning, which could improve personalization, digital engagement and customer retention. Kroger debuts AI shopping assistant
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader investor interest is moving toward natural and health-focused food retailers, including Sprouts Farmers Market, United Natural Foods and Simply Good Foods. The trend may benefit grocery demand generally, but no specific Kroger earnings impact was reported. Natural foods stocks gain
• Negative Sentiment: A consumer group cited approximately 1,700 complaints alleging pricing discrepancies at Kroger stores. If substantiated, the issue could create reputational, regulatory and margin risks. Consumer group pricing discrepancy claims
• Negative Sentiment: Costco’s highly competitive, membership-driven gasoline model highlights pressure on traditional grocers’ fuel-loyalty programs and customer economics. This is an industry competitive concern rather than a direct Kroger announcement. How Costco engineered the perfect gas station

Kroger Stock Down 3.2%

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $57.97 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $60.06 and a 200 day moving average price of $65.38. The Kroger Co. has a fifty-two week low of $54.15 and a fifty-two week high of $76.58. The firm has a market cap of $35.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.49 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. This is a boost from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Kroger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 82.35%.

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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