Securian Asset Management Inc. Sells 12,798 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Securian Asset Management Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 43.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 16,577 shares of the company’s stock after selling 12,798 shares during the quarter. Securian Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Kroger were worth $1,036,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Kroger by 268.1% in the fourth quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. Avalon Trust Co bought a new position in Kroger in the third quarter valued at $29,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Kroger by 100.0% during the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 490 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 245 shares during the last quarter. 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: Higher grocery inflation in April could support Kroger’s pricing power and help offset some cost pressures, which may be constructive for margins if consumers keep absorbing higher food prices. US Inflation Accelerates to 3.8% in April as Energy and Grocery Prices Surge
• Neutral Sentiment: News that Kroger completed a $1.4 million store renovation in Cedar Springs and launched an exclusive 7UP Mandarin Orange product reflects ongoing merchandising and store-investment activity, but these items are unlikely to move the stock meaningfully on their own. Kroger completes $1.4M Cedar Springs store upgrade Kroger adds exclusive new Coca-Cola rival soda
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighting Kroger’s “robust margin” performance and income-investor appeal points to continued confidence in the business, but it does not appear to be based on a fresh operating update. Robust Margin Boosted The Kroger Company (KR) Performance Robust Margin Boosted The Kroger Company (KR) Performance Should Income Investors Look At The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Before Its Ex-Dividend?
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger shares also weakened in the prior session as the market improved, suggesting some investor caution or profit-taking after the recent run. Kroger (KR) Stock Declines While Market Improves: Some Information for Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Broader concerns about grocery-sector competition, lawsuits, and pressure on Albertsons may also remind investors that the supermarket industry remains highly competitive and low-margin. Albertsons’ sales dip in this area sparks concern

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on KR shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, March 27th. Barclays reissued a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Kroger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $70.00 to $68.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $74.56.

Kroger Stock Performance

NYSE:KR opened at $64.63 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.80. The Kroger Co. has a fifty-two week low of $58.60 and a fifty-two week high of $76.58. The firm has a market cap of $39.59 billion, a PE ratio of 42.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.46. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $70.12 and a 200-day moving average price of $66.67.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued 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 company 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.14 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is 91.50%.

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.