The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Sold by Hsbc Holdings PLC

Key Points

• Hsbc Holdings PLC reduced its Kroger stake by 14% in the fourth quarter, selling 209,006 shares and ending with 1,280,291 shares valued at about $80 million.
• Kroger’s latest quarterly results were mixed: revenue beat expectations at $46.12 billion, but earnings per share slightly missed estimates, coming in at $1.58 versus $1.59 expected.
• Shares fell about 1.5% and analyst sentiment turned cautious, with several firms trimming price targets and citing margin pressure and choppy near-term growth despite Kroger’s defensive grocery business.

Hsbc Holdings PLC lowered its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 14.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,280,291 shares of the company's stock after selling 209,006 shares during the quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned approximately 0.20% of Kroger worth $80,030,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC increased its position in Kroger by 268.1% during the 4th quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares in the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Kroger during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new position in Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Avalon Trust Co acquired a new position in Kroger in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is expanding its Vanderpump Blooms x Bloom Haus partnership into home décor and other new products, giving the company another branded merchandising push that could support sales and customer traffic. Vanderpump Blooms x Bloom Haus Floral Collection by Lisa Vanderpump Expands Line
• Positive Sentiment: Some commentary points to Kroger as a possible long-term buying opportunity after the recent earnings-driven pullback, reflecting continued investor interest in the company’s defensive grocery business. The Dip in Kroger Stock Could Be a Gift. Here's How It Could Set You Up for Life.
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s CEO said shoppers are making smaller, more promotion-driven trips, signaling changing consumer behavior rather than a clear demand collapse. Kroger CEO spots trend of smaller baskets, more promotion-driven shopping trips
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts cut their outlooks on Kroger after quarterly results, with Morgan Stanley saying the company’s self-funded price-investment strategy is prudent but difficult to execute and Wells Fargo warning that near-term growth could remain choppy. Kroger's Price Investment Strategy is Prudent but Carries Significant Difficulties, Morgan Stanley Says
• Negative Sentiment: Additional broker notes from Wells Fargo and BMO Capital lowered price targets and emphasized weaker margins, reinforcing concern that profitability may stay under pressure even if sales remain solid. These Analysts Slash Their Forecasts On Kroger Following Q1 Earnings

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KR has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Kroger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday. Barclays set a $61.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, UBS Group set a $63.00 price target on Kroger and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $72.56.

Kroger Stock Down 1.5%

KR opened at $55.78 on Tuesday. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $55.60 and a 12 month high of $76.58. The business has a 50-day moving average of $65.22 and a two-hundred day moving average of $66.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.43.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share 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 company earned $1.49 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.25 earnings per share for the current year.

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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