The Kroger Co. $KR Stock Holdings Increased by Lifeworks Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Lifeworks Advisors LLC dramatically increased its Kroger stake in the first quarter, boosting holdings by 526.1% to 82,371 shares valued at about $5.96 million.
• Kroger reported mixed quarterly results, with revenue of $46.12 billion beating estimates but earnings per share of $1.58 missing expectations by one cent. The company also raised its full-year FY2026 EPS guidance to 5.10-5.30.
• The company announced a higher quarterly dividend of $0.39 per share, up from $0.35, and analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with a consensus price target of $72.00.

Lifeworks Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 526.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 82,371 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 69,215 shares during the quarter. Lifeworks Advisors LLC's holdings in Kroger were worth $5,960,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in Kroger by 27.3% during the fourth 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 increased its stake in Kroger by 40.7% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 56,243 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,807,000 after purchasing an additional 16,270 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in Kroger during the second quarter valued at $201,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 11.5% during the second 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 period. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the second quarter worth $1,840,000. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Kroger Stock Up 0.1%

Kroger stock opened at $60.58 on Monday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $62.52 and a 200-day simple moving average of $65.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $37.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.44. 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 Kroger Co. has a one year low of $54.15 and a one year high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.49 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. This is a boost from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Kroger's payout ratio is presently 91.76%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on KR. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $78.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. HC Wainwright reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Citigroup decreased their target price on Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $71.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $72.00.

Trending Headlines about Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Traders bought an unusually large number of Kroger call options, suggesting some investors are betting on more upside in the stock. Unusual options trading on Kroger
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is moving forward with its $1.65 billion Giant Eagle deal, a major strategic move that could expand its market presence and boost long-term scale. Kroger progresses on USD 1.65 billion deal to acquire Giant Eagle
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is also investing in store upgrades, including expanding wine offerings at 147 in-store shops, which may support sales trends and customer traffic. Kroger to upgrade wine selection at 147 in-store shops
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports suggest Kroger may sell some Giant Eagle stores, especially in Columbus, as part of the broader deal. That could help with antitrust or integration issues, but it also signals potential divestitures. Kroger likely to sell some Giant Eagle stores in Columbus
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger reportedly walked back its cage-free egg pledge, which could raise questions about customer trust and ESG commitments. Kroger walks back its cage-free egg pledge

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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