VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Sells 217,100 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al reduced its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 13.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,397,900 shares of the company’s stock after selling 217,100 shares during the quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al’s holdings in Kroger were worth $87,341,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of KR. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings 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 in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 40.7% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 56,243 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,807,000 after buying an additional 16,270 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the second quarter worth about $201,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 11.5% during the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 97,288 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,978,000 after buying an additional 10,051 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the second quarter worth about $1,840,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Kroger Stock Down 0.3%

KR stock opened at $64.63 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $70.12 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $66.67. The company has a market cap of $39.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.24, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.46. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $58.60 and a twelve month high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.10 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The business’s revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.14 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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 is Friday, May 15th. Kroger’s payout ratio is currently 91.50%.

Kroger News Summary

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on KR. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $75.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 price objective (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, March 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 4th. Barclays reiterated a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company downgraded Kroger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $70.00 to $68.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $74.56.

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.