The Kroger Co. Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.35 (NYSE:KR)

Key Points

• Kroger declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share payable June 1 to holders of record on May 15 (ex-dividend May 15), implying a 1.9% yield; the company has raised its dividend for 19 consecutive years and has a low payout ratio (~27%), indicating the dividend is well covered.
• Kroger reported Q earnings of $1.28 per share (beating the $1.20 estimate) while revenue of $34.73B slightly missed expectations, and management set FY2026 EPS guidance of $5.10–$5.30 with analysts forecasting about $4.44 for the current fiscal year.
• Shares traded around $75.10 with a market cap near $47.5B and a P/E of ~48.9, and institutional investors own roughly 80.9% of the company with several funds recently adding to their stakes.

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, March 12th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a dividend of 0.35 per share on Monday, June 1st. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th.

Kroger has raised its dividend by an average of 0.1%per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend annually for the last 19 consecutive years. Kroger has a payout ratio of 27.1% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect Kroger to earn $4.72 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.40 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 29.7%.

Kroger Stock Performance

KR stock traded up $0.14 on Friday, hitting $75.10. The company had a trading volume of 262,912 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,985,295. The stock has a market cap of $47.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.85, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $66.20 and its 200 day simple moving average is $65.99. Kroger has a 12-month low of $58.60 and a 12-month high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a net margin of 0.69% and a return on equity of 41.08%. The company had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.14 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Kroger will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kroger

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KR. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 27.3% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,733 shares of the company's stock worth $962,000 after acquiring an additional 3,373 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP raised its position in Kroger by 40.7% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 56,243 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,807,000 after purchasing an additional 16,270 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at $201,000. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC increased its position in shares of Kroger by 29.2% during the 2nd quarter. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC now owns 15,500 shares of the company's stock worth $1,112,000 after purchasing an additional 3,499 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its position in Kroger by 5.3% in the second quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 131,115 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,405,000 after buying an additional 6,650 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

About Kroger

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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