The Kroger Co. $KR Stock: Howard Capital Management LLC Grows Position

Key Points

• Howard Capital Management increased its Kroger position by 64.1% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 118,272 shares worth approximately $6.93 million. Institutional investors collectively own 80.93% of Kroger.
• Kroger exceeded quarterly earnings expectations with adjusted EPS of $1.09 and sales of $34.62 billion, while reaffirming fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $5.10–$5.30. Management also pointed to improving pharmacy margins, e-commerce profitability, retail-media growth and cost savings.
• Analyst sentiment is generally favorable, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $69.82 versus the reported share price of $63.53. Kroger also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.39 per share, representing a 2.5% annualized yield.

Howard Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 64.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 118,272 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 46,206 shares during the period. Howard Capital Management LLC's holdings in Kroger were worth $6,933,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KR. Milestone Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the third quarter worth approximately $10,924,000. Andrews Advisory Associates LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 16.8% in the 3rd quarter. Andrews Advisory Associates LLC now owns 9,051 shares of the company's stock valued at $531,000 after acquiring an additional 1,304 shares during the period. Iams Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 3rd quarter valued at $581,000. SLT Holdings LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger in the 3rd quarter valued at $205,000. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its position in Kroger by 13.2% in the 3rd quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 18,621 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,092,000 after purchasing an additional 2,172 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kroger

In other news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total transaction of $4,425,090.70. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 175,233 shares in the company, valued at $10,636,643.10. The trade was a 29.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results and outlook supported the stock. Kroger reported adjusted earnings of $1.09 per share on approximately $34.6 billion in sales, ahead of earnings expectations, while reaffirming fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $5.10–$5.30. Management also cited improving pharmacy margins, e-commerce profitability, retail-media growth and additional cost savings. Kroger Gains as Investors Focus on Earnings Beat and Stable Profit Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate restructuring could improve profitability. Kroger plans to eliminate roughly 3,000 corporate positions over three years while expanding its use of artificial intelligence. The company says the savings can help fund lower prices, potentially strengthening its competitive position and margins. An investor day scheduled for October 20 could provide more detail on the strategy. Kroger cites AI efficiency push as it cuts corporate jobs
• Positive Sentiment: Seasonal demand and market share remain favorable. Kroger expects to sell 25 million pounds of Halloween candy, highlighting the potential for seasonal sales momentum. Separately, the grocer continues to lead the Central Ohio grocery market. Kroger is America's candy destination

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded shares of Kroger from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $72.00 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Melius Research set a $80.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th. Roth Capital reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $73.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, September 14th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Kroger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, June 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $69.82.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:KR traded up $0.82 during trading on Friday, reaching $63.53. The company had a trading volume of 6,516,083 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,142,802. The Kroger Co. has a fifty-two week low of $54.15 and a fifty-two week high of $76.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.31. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $58.86 and its 200 day moving average price is $61.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $37.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.36.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $34.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.64 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.73% and a return on equity of 49.90%. Kroger's quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.04 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.19 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be paid a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. Kroger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 84.78%.

Kroger Company Profile

The Kroger Co is a U.S.-based food and consumer goods retailer headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, the company has grown into one of the largest supermarket operators in the United States.

Kroger operates supermarkets, multi-department stores, marketplace-format stores, pharmacies and fuel centers. Its stores sell groceries, fresh produce, meat, seafood, bakery and deli products, household essentials, health and beauty items, and general merchandise. The company also offers digital shopping, pickup and delivery services, loyalty programs, and a range of private-label products.

The company serves customers across numerous U.S.

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