The Kroger Co. $KR Stock Position Raised by Allstate Corp

Key Points

• Allstate Corp increased its Kroger stake by 108.5% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 47,991 shares valued at about $3.0 million.
• Kroger reported better-than-expected earnings for the latest quarter, with EPS of $1.28 versus the $1.20 consensus, while revenue rose 1.2% year over year.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share, and recent news suggests it is planning price cuts on thousands of items to stay competitive with Walmart and Costco.

Allstate Corp lifted its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 108.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 47,991 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 24,976 shares during the quarter. Allstate Corp's holdings in Kroger were worth $2,998,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. lifted its position in Kroger by 45.5% in the 3rd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 855,810 shares of the company's stock worth $57,690,000 after buying an additional 267,434 shares in the last quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 401.3% during the 3rd quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd now owns 19,470 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,293,000 after purchasing an additional 15,586 shares in the last quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 64.7% during the 3rd quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 45,267 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,051,000 after purchasing an additional 17,777 shares in the last quarter. Westpac Banking Corp raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 126.2% during the 3rd quarter. Westpac Banking Corp now owns 35,667 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,404,000 after purchasing an additional 19,898 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Longbow Finance SA bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the 3rd quarter valued at $7,115,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of KR opened at $64.81 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $39.71 billion, a PE ratio of 42.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.46. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $58.60 and a one year high of $76.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.42. The company's fifty day moving average price is $68.99 and its 200 day moving average price is $66.79.

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

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared 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. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Kroger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 91.50%.

More 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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on KR. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Guggenheim restated a "buy" rating and set a $78.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Kroger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, April 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, March 27th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Kroger presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $74.87.

Kroger Company 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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