The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Sold by OLD National Bancorp IN

Key Points

• OLD National Bancorp IN cut its Kroger stake by 34.7% in Q4, selling 67,863 shares and leaving it with 127,932 shares worth $7.99 million.
• Several large institutions sharply increased positions—Wellington Management added 61.1% to hold 33.37 million shares—leaving hedge funds and other institutional investors owning about 80.93% of Kroger.
• Kroger beat quarterly EPS estimates ($1.28 vs. $1.20) but missed revenue expectations ($34.73B vs. $35.10B), set FY2026 EPS guidance of 5.10–5.30, and declared a $0.35 quarterly dividend (2.0% yield).

OLD National Bancorp IN cut its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 34.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 127,932 shares of the company's stock after selling 67,863 shares during the period. OLD National Bancorp IN's holdings in Kroger were worth $7,993,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in Kroger by 61.1% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 33,367,551 shares of the company's stock worth $2,249,307,000 after acquiring an additional 12,652,261 shares during the last quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH raised its stake in Kroger by 66.6% in the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 5,255,084 shares of the company's stock worth $354,245,000 after acquiring an additional 2,100,444 shares during the last quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC raised its stake in Kroger by 299.6% in the 2nd quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 2,420,495 shares of the company's stock worth $173,622,000 after acquiring an additional 1,814,721 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. raised its stake in Kroger by 95.6% in the 2nd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 2,434,663 shares of the company's stock worth $174,638,000 after acquiring an additional 1,190,127 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. raised its stake in Kroger by 51.0% in the 3rd quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 2,991,513 shares of the company's stock worth $201,658,000 after acquiring an additional 1,010,457 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $69.13 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $58.60 and a 12 month high of $76.58. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $70.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $66.82. The stock has a market cap of $42.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.18, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.55.

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

Kroger Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Kroger's payout ratio is 91.50%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on KR shares. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 target price on Kroger and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Citigroup raised their target price on Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Kroger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 4th. Roth Mkm restated a "buy" rating and set a $78.00 price objective (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated a "market perform" rating and set a $70.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Kroger presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $74.56.

Trending Headlines about Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Berkshire Hathaway vote of confidence — Warren Buffett’s firm has built Kroger into a multibillion-dollar holding, increasing the position since 2019; that continued institutional endorsement supports investor sentiment and valuation. Why Does Kroger (KR) Has Warren Buffett’s Confidence Since 2019?
• Positive Sentiment: Retail partnerships and assortment: Beyond Meat’s nationwide launch of its new Beyond Chicken Pieces at 2,000+ Kroger stores can drive incremental sales in plant‑based categories and strengthens Kroger’s center-store differentiation. Beyond Meat® Launches New Beyond Chicken® Pieces Spicy Buffalo at Kroger Stores Nationwide
• Positive Sentiment: Workforce and execution focus — Kroger earned recognition for career progression and launched Pearl Street Academy to improve retention and internal mobility; investors view this as lowering execution risk and supporting margins over time. Kroger Workforce Push And Valuation Gap Draw Investor Attention
• Neutral Sentiment: Promotions and marketing — Kroger’s “Online Deal Days” short-term sales event can boost near-term e‑commerce volume, but its impact on margins and sticky sales is uncertain. Kroger launches 'Online Deal Days' event with special discounts on groceries
• Neutral Sentiment: Local growth/planning items — A planning commission approved a Kroger + apartment project (mixed long‑term benefit via foot traffic, short‑term limited impact). Planning Commission approves Kroger, apartment building on 14 Mile Road
• Neutral Sentiment: Promotional tie‑ins — In‑store promotions (e.g., Hot Wheels collector campaign) and community volunteer programs are brand‑positive but unlikely to move fundamentals materially. Score A Hot Wheels Collector Edition 1991 GMC Syclone By Shopping At Kroger
• Negative Sentiment: Store closures and executive changes — Local reports of recent store closures and a notable shakeup in executive ranks can raise near‑term execution concerns and raise questions about growth cadence. Kroger made biggest shakeup in more than a decade in store count, executive officers over past year
• Negative Sentiment: Operational disruption — Isolated incidents such as a false bomb threat and evacuations are negative PR but have limited long‑term impact unless they recur at scale. Man charged after false bomb threat forces Kroger evacuation in Fountain City

About Kroger

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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