The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Sold by Maj Invest Holding A S

Key Points

• Maj Invest Holding A S reduced its Kroger stake by 6.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 108,584 shares and leaving it with about 1.52 million shares worth roughly $95.2 million.
• Kroger beat earnings expectations in its latest quarterly report, posting EPS of $1.28 versus the $1.20 consensus, while revenue came in at $34.73 billion, slightly below estimates.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share, payable June 1, representing an annualized yield of about 2.1%; analysts currently have a consensus Hold rating with a $74.56 price target.

Maj Invest Holding A S trimmed its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 6.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,524,265 shares of the company's stock after selling 108,584 shares during the quarter. Kroger makes up 4.4% of Maj Invest Holding A S's holdings, making the stock its 14th largest holding. Maj Invest Holding A S owned about 0.24% of Kroger worth $95,235,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 45.5% in the third quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 855,810 shares of the company's stock worth $57,690,000 after buying an additional 267,434 shares during the period. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd boosted its position in Kroger by 401.3% during the third quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd now owns 19,470 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,293,000 after purchasing an additional 15,586 shares during the last quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp boosted its position in Kroger by 64.7% during the third quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 45,267 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,051,000 after purchasing an additional 17,777 shares during the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH boosted its position in Kroger by 7.0% during the third quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 684,953 shares of the company's stock valued at $46,173,000 after purchasing an additional 44,619 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Longbow Finance SA acquired a new stake in Kroger during the third quarter valued at $7,115,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Kroger Trading Up 3.4%

Kroger stock opened at $68.24 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.80. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $69.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $66.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.80 billion, a PE ratio of 44.60, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.46. The Kroger Co. has a 52 week low of $58.60 and a 52 week high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.14 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Kroger's payout ratio is presently 91.50%.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is promoting Memorial Day grilling deals and a 4X Fuel Points event, which could drive traffic, boost basket sizes, and support near-term sales at its stores. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The Kroger Queen City Championship continued to keep the Kroger name in the spotlight after Lottie Woad won the LPGA event, giving the company additional brand visibility. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage and local features about Kroger stores, cookout ideas, and a celebrity appearance are mostly promotional and unlikely to materially move the stock on their own. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary is highlighting Kroger’s lower valuation versus peers, which may support investor sentiment but does not change fundamentals by itself. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Another senior executive departure adds to leadership turnover concerns and could make investors question management stability. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger’s $100 million refrigeration settlement tied to alleged EPA violations raises costs, increases regulatory scrutiny, and may weigh on long-term cash flow. Article Title

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

KR has been the subject of a number of research reports. Roth Mkm reissued a "buy" rating and set a $78.00 price objective (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Wall Street Zen raised Kroger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. Wells Fargo & Company cut Kroger from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $70.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Barclays reissued a "positive" rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $74.56.

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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