WealthCare Asset Management LLC Buys New Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• WealthCare Asset Management initiated a Kroger position by purchasing 25,723 shares worth approximately $1.51 million in the third quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 80.93% of Kroger.
• Analyst sentiment is generally positive: Kroger has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating from 21 analysts, with an average price target of $70.35.
• Kroger reported quarterly EPS of $1.09, exceeding estimates of $1.05, while revenue reached $34.62 billion. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.39 per share, implying a 2.3% annualized yield.

WealthCare Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 25,723 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,508,000. Kroger accounts for approximately 1.3% of WealthCare Asset Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 21st largest position.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. North Point Portfolio Managers Corp OH acquired a new position in Kroger during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Kroger during the 1st quarter worth approximately $31,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Kroger during the 1st quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, GK Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Kroger during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. 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 value of $4,425,090.70. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 175,233 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $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 can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group cut their price target on shares of Kroger from $78.00 to $75.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 14th. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded Kroger from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $72.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Evercore set a $70.00 price objective on Kroger in a report on Monday, September 14th. Wall Street Zen raised Kroger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, September 14th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $70.35.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of KR opened at $66.79 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $39.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.35, a PEG ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 0.36. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $54.15 and a 1-year high of $76.58. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $59.67 and its 200 day simple moving average is $63.45. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59.

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, beating the consensus estimate 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 return on equity of 49.90% and a net margin of 0.73%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.04 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.20 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Kroger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 84.78%.

About Kroger

The Kroger Co is a U.S. food and grocery retailer headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883, the company operates supermarkets under banners that include Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, King Soopers, Fry's, Harris Teeter and Smith's, among others.

Kroger's business includes the sale of fresh food, groceries, general merchandise, household products and health and beauty items. Many of its stores also provide pharmacy services and fuel centers. The company offers digital shopping, pickup and delivery services, loyalty programs and a range of private-label products, including Simple Truth, Private Selection and Kroger-branded products.

Kroger primarily serves customers across the United States, with stores concentrated in the Midwest, South, West and parts of the Mid-Atlantic region.

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