Swedbank AB Increases Stock Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Swedbank AB grew its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 287.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,576,007 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,169,373 shares during the period. Swedbank AB’s holdings in Kroger were worth $114,040,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 45.5% in the 3rd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 855,810 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,690,000 after purchasing an additional 267,434 shares in the last quarter. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd raised its stake in Kroger by 18.1% during the third quarter. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd now owns 150,356 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,135,000 after buying an additional 23,027 shares during the last quarter. JCP Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Kroger in the third quarter worth $1,773,000. Allstate Corp boosted its holdings in Kroger by 108.5% in the fourth quarter. Allstate Corp now owns 47,991 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,998,000 after acquiring an additional 24,976 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,169,425 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,821,546,000 after acquiring an additional 868,529 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, June 20th. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $82.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, June 19th. Ten equities research 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 stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $72.00.

Kroger Price Performance

NYSE KR opened at $58.52 on Wednesday. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $54.15 and a one year high of $76.58. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $62.93 and a 200 day moving average of $65.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.79. The company has a market capitalization of $35.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.43, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.44.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. Kroger’s revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.49 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. This is a positive change from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Kroger’s payout ratio is currently 82.35%.

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are viewing Kroger’s planned Giant Eagle purchase as a smart, potentially value-creating deal that could improve Kroger’s competitive position and market reach. Kroger’s planned $1.7B Giant Eagle acquisition is ‘a master stroke,’ analyst says
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage suggesting Kroger may be undervalued after its recent pullback is helping sentiment, especially as investors reassess the Giant Eagle deal, buybacks, and the higher dividend. Is Kroger (KR) Undervalued On Its Giant Eagle Deal And Recent Pullback?
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger raised its dividend, reinforcing its shareholder-return story and signaling management confidence in cash flow and payout sustainability. 3 Stocks With Solid Yields and Sustainabale Payouts Boost Dividends Once Again (KR)
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger appointed Emilee De Martino as chief people officer, a routine leadership move that may support longer-term execution but is unlikely to move the stock on its own. Kroger (KR) Names McDonald’s Veteran Emilee De Martino Chief People Officer
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports that Kroger may pursue divestitures in Columbus as part of the Giant Eagle transaction suggest the deal is still being worked through, but this is mainly a procedural update. Kroger eyes Columbus for Giant Eagle divestitures: reports
• Negative Sentiment: Recent articles noting Kroger store closures and grocery recall headlines may create some near-term noise, but they appear less important than the acquisition and dividend catalysts. Kroger and 8 Other Major Stores That Are Closing in July

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.