The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Sells 24,403 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company cut its Kroger stake by 8%, selling 24,403 shares and retaining 281,019 shares valued at approximately $15.6 million. Institutional investors collectively own 80.93% of Kroger.
• Kroger’s second-quarter adjusted EPS reached $1.09, beating estimates of $1.05, while revenue rose 2% year over year to $34.62 billion. Management reaffirmed fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $5.10–$5.30 and repurchased $1 billion in stock.
• Despite the earnings beat, Kroger lowered its full-year identical-sales outlook to 0.2%–0.8% from 1%–2%, citing inflation, intense competition, strained household budgets and weaker pharmacy revenue. Shares were trading near $58.50, while analysts’ average price target was $71.31.

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company reduced its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) by 8.0% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 281,019 shares of the company's stock after selling 24,403 shares during the quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company's holdings in Kroger were worth $15,605,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new position in Kroger during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth $31,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new position in Kroger during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger reported second-quarter adjusted EPS of $1.09, above the approximately $1.05 analyst consensus and up from $1.04 a year earlier. Operating profit increased to $971 million, while adjusted eCommerce sales grew 20% and Kroger Precision Marketing profit rose 24%. Kroger Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results and Updates Guidance for 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Management reaffirmed fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $5.10–$5.30, signaling confidence that cost savings, pharmacy and fuel performance, eCommerce and margin management can offset sluggish sales. Kroger also repurchased $1 billion of stock during the quarter. Kroger gains as profit outlook holds despite softer sales guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity indicated that some traders were positioning for additional upside following the earnings release.
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue rose 2% year over year to $34.62 billion but was slightly below estimates. Identical sales excluding fuel increased only 0.2%, reflecting cautious consumer spending and the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on pharmacy revenue. Kroger Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results and Updates Guidance for 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger cut its fiscal-year identical-sales outlook excluding fuel to 0.2%–0.8%, down from 1%–2%. Executives cited inflation, intense grocery competition and strained household budgets, including elevated gasoline costs and reduced government food assistance. Kroger Cuts Sales View Due to Macro Challenges
• Negative Sentiment: A cyclospora outbreak reduced fresh-produce shopping during the quarter, while reports that Boar’s Head meats are disappearing from some stores could create additional deli-sales and customer-retention concerns. Cyclospora outbreak hammers Kroger sales as shoppers avoided produce

Kroger Trading Up 2.7%

KR opened at $58.50 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $54.15 and a 1-year high of $76.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. The company has a market cap of $35.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $57.78 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $63.66.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $34.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $34.64 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The business's revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.04 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th were issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. This is a positive change from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th. Kroger's dividend payout ratio is presently 91.76%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on KR. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Wall Street Zen lowered Kroger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 20th. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, September 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, HC Wainwright reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Kroger has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $71.31.

Kroger Profile

The Kroger Co NYSE: KR is one of the largest grocery retailers in the United States. Founded in Cincinnati in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, the company operates supermarkets, multi-department stores, pharmacies, convenience stores and fuel centers across the country.

Kroger sells a broad range of fresh foods, packaged groceries, household products, health and beauty items, prepared foods and general merchandise. Its private-label offerings include Simple Truth, Private Selection and Kroger brands.

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