The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Sold by Rockefeller Capital Management L.P.

Key Points

• Rockefeller Capital Management cut its Kroger stake by 41.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 127,945 shares and leaving it with 183,320 shares valued at about $11.45 million.
• Kroger is seeing several positive business developments, including letting shoppers use fuel points on groceries, working with suppliers to reduce costs, and expanding its retail media business through a new TikTok ad partnership.
• Despite those opportunities, analysts remain cautious: Citigroup lowered its price target to $61, and Kroger’s latest quarter topped revenue estimates but missed EPS by a penny, underscoring ongoing margin and execution pressure.

Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. trimmed its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 41.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 183,320 shares of the company's stock after selling 127,945 shares during the period. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P.'s holdings in Kroger were worth $11,454,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Kroger by 268.1% during the 4th quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 303 shares during the period. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Kroger during the 4th quarter valued at 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 purchased a new stake in Kroger during the third quarter worth about $29,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger said shoppers can now use fuel points on groceries, a move that could boost customer loyalty, increase store traffic, and help the company compete more aggressively on value. Kroger now letting shoppers use fuel points on groceries
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is working with suppliers and using direct sourcing to optimize costs, which could support margins if the savings flow through to the bottom line. Kroger is working with suppliers to optimize costs
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s retail media business got another boost after it linked with TikTok on targeted ads, reinforcing a potentially higher-margin growth avenue outside traditional grocery sales. Kroger links with TikTok on targeted ads
• Neutral Sentiment: Several recent analyst pieces framed KR as a “show-me” stock: retail media, private label, and digital growth are promising, but investors are still waiting for proof that Kroger can improve profitability while managing transportation, pharmacy, and margin pressure. Kroger Stock Is Tied to Retail Media, Private Label, and Value Trends
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts also pointed to Kroger’s low valuation, cash returns, and balance-sheet flexibility as positives, but said consumer caution and ongoing margin pressure keep the stock’s outlook guarded. Is KR Stock a Buy Now or a Value Trap for Cautious Investors?
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup lowered its price target on Kroger to $61 from $71 and kept a neutral rating, signaling a more cautious stance even as the stock has recovered recently. Benzinga report on Citigroup price target cut
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary around Kroger’s new CEO and recent earnings call highlighted pressure to improve store execution, pricing, and e-commerce profitability, suggesting the turnaround still has to be proven. Kroger Q1 Earnings Call Focuses on Cost, Price and E-Commerce

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and set a $70.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Wolfe Research reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $75.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Barclays set a $61.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $71.94.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of KR opened at $58.69 on Thursday. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $55.60 and a 1 year high of $76.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $35.96 billion, a PE ratio of 34.52, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.79. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $64.82 and a 200-day simple moving average of $66.15.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.49 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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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