The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Sold by Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC

Key Points

• Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC cut its Kroger stake by 59.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 137,654 shares and leaving it with 95,265 shares valued at about $5.95 million.
• Kroger’s latest quarter topped revenue estimates at $46.12 billion, but adjusted EPS of $1.58 missed by a penny and investors were concerned about margin pressure from higher costs and pricing investments.
• Despite the earnings miss, Kroger saw strong digital momentum with e-commerce sales up 19%, while management reaffirmed full-year guidance and analysts remain split, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy.

Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC reduced its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 59.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 95,265 shares of the company's stock after selling 137,654 shares during the period. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC's holdings in Kroger were worth $5,952,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Kroger by 27.3% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,733 shares of the company's stock valued at $962,000 after purchasing an additional 3,373 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP grew its position in Kroger by 40.7% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 56,243 shares of the company's stock worth $3,807,000 after buying an additional 16,270 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Kroger in the second quarter valued at about $201,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Kroger by 11.5% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 97,288 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,978,000 after buying an additional 10,051 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC purchased a new position in Kroger in the second quarter valued at about $1,840,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price target on Kroger and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Erste Group Bank downgraded Kroger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $82.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday. Telsey Advisory Group upped their target price on Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Kroger from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Thursday. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Kroger currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $75.12.

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue came in above expectations at $46.12 billion, and Kroger said identical sales excluding fuel rose 1.0%, showing demand for groceries and essentials remains resilient. Kroger Q1 Earnings Miss Despite Revenue Beat & E-commerce Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Digital growth was a bright spot: e-commerce sales increased 19%, and Kroger’s media segment turned profitable, which supports the company’s longer-term growth strategy. The Kroger Co (KR) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong eCommerce Growth and Profitability ...
• Neutral Sentiment: Management reaffirmed full-year guidance, which may calm some investors, but it was not enough to offset concerns about near-term profitability. Kroger Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary is split, with some viewing the selloff as a value opportunity while others say margin pressure and cautious consumers make the stock less attractive in the near term. Why Kroger’s Pullback Could Be a Gift for Patient Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Adjusted EPS of $1.58 missed estimates by a penny, and investors reacted strongly to signs that pricing investments and higher operating costs are pressuring margins. Kroger Q1 Earnings Miss Despite Revenue Beat & E-commerce Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Several reports noted that consumers are under pressure and that Kroger’s cost growth is outrunning sales growth, which is the main reason shares sold off after earnings. Kroger beats quarterly sales estimates

Kroger Stock Performance

Kroger stock opened at $56.57 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $65.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $66.33. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. The Kroger Co. has a 52 week low of $56.32 and a 52 week high of $76.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.27, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.42.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The company's revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.49 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Company 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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