VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Invests $120.97 Million in The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• The Virginia Retirement Systems acquired a **$120.97 million** stake in The Kroger Co., purchasing approximately **1,686,400 shares**, making Kroger its **15th largest holding**.
• Kroger recently reported earnings of **$1.04 per share**, exceeding analysts' expectations, while also setting a **dividend of $0.35 per share**, representing a **2.0% yield**.
• Equities analysts have given Kroger a **"Moderate Buy" rating**, with an average price target of **$74.50**, reflecting positive sentiment among market experts.

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 1,686,400 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $120,965,000. Kroger makes up approximately 0.8% of VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al's investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest holding. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al owned 0.26% of Kroger as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Accent Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. grew its holdings in Kroger by 6,840.0% in the 2nd quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 347 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 342 shares during the period. Garde Capital Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at $31,000. Capital Analysts LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 1st quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. acquired a new position in Kroger during the first quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group set a $83.00 price target on Kroger and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, June 23rd. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $74.00 price target (up from $66.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, June 23rd. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, September 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of Kroger from $57.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, June 23rd. Finally, Barclays started coverage on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, July 21st. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $75.00 target price for the company. 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 MarketBeat, Kroger has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $74.50.

Kroger Price Performance

KR opened at $69.13 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $45.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.55, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.57. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $68.04 and a 200 day moving average price of $69.12. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $55.60 and a 1 year high of $74.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.85.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 11th. The company reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.00 by $0.04. Kroger had a return on equity of 32.62% and a net margin of 1.86%.The company had revenue of $33.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $34.08 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.93 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.700-4.800 EPS. Analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 14th. Kroger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.53%.

Kroger Company Profile

The Kroger Co operates as a food and drug retailer in the United States. The company operates combination food and drug stores, multi-department stores, marketplace stores, and price impact warehouses. Its combination food and drug stores offer natural food and organic sections, pharmacies, general merchandise, pet centers, fresh seafood, and organic produce; and multi-department stores provide apparel, home fashion and furnishings, outdoor living, electronics, automotive products, and toys.

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