The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Sold by Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.

Key Points

• Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management cut its Kroger stake by 43% in the fourth quarter, selling 18,985 shares and leaving it with 25,204 shares valued at about $1.67 million.
• Analysts remain cautiously positive on Kroger: the stock has a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating, with eight Buy and eight Hold ratings and an average price target of $74.87.
• Kroger’s recent results topped EPS expectations, as the company reported $1.28 per share versus $1.20 expected, while also reaffirming FY2026 EPS guidance of 5.10 to 5.30. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share, yielding about 2.2% annually.

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. reduced its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 43.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 25,204 shares of the company's stock after selling 18,985 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.'s holdings in Kroger were worth $1,669,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in KR. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 27.3% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,733 shares of the company's stock worth $962,000 after purchasing an additional 3,373 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP boosted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 40.7% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 56,243 shares of the company's stock worth $3,807,000 after purchasing an additional 16,270 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $201,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 11.5% during the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 97,288 shares of the company's stock worth $6,978,000 after purchasing an additional 10,051 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,840,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KR has been the topic of several recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $82.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Guggenheim restated a "buy" rating and set a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Barclays reiterated a "positive" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, February 9th. Telsey Advisory Group upped their price objective on Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Kroger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, April 4th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $74.87.

Kroger Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $64.81 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $39.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.36, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $58.60 and a 52-week high of $76.58. The business's 50 day moving average is $68.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $66.79.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. The company 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 quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.14 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Research analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Kroger's payout ratio is presently 91.50%.

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is moving ahead with a plan to cut prices on thousands of items, which could help protect traffic and market share as it competes more aggressively with Walmart and Costco. Kroger plans to cut prices on thousands of items to boost competitiveness, Bloomberg report says
• Positive Sentiment: Industry commentary suggesting grocery prices may rise further could support revenue, since higher shelf prices can lift sales dollars even if unit volume growth is mixed. Americans Are About to Pay Even More at the Grocery Store
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger announced the retirement of Executive Vice President and Chief Associate Experience Officer Tim Massa, adding to a recent string of senior departures under new CEO Greg Foran; investors may see this as leadership turnover during a strategic transition. Kroger announces retirement of Tim Massa, Executive Vice President and Chief Associate Experience Officer
• Neutral Sentiment: Separately, Kroger’s broader investment case still leans on its push to become a more competitive value grocer, but that strategy may take time to show up in earnings. We Want to Be America’s Best Grocer: Kroger’s Aggressive Plan to Beat Walmart and Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Shares fell sharply in the prior session as investors worried about a tougher margin backdrop from higher grocery price competition and a weak read-through from Walmart’s profit outlook. Kroger (KR) Stock Drops Despite Market Gains: Important Facts to Note
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger also faced a product recall involving croutons in 17 states over possible salmonella contamination, which could weigh on sentiment around food safety and execution. Kroger croutons recalled in 17 states over possible salmonella contamination

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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