Meeder Asset Management Inc. Sells 26,763 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Meeder Asset Management Inc. lessened its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 58.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 18,934 shares of the company’s stock after selling 26,763 shares during the quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Kroger were worth $1,370,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in KR. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. grew its stake in Kroger by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. now owns 3,537 shares of the company’s stock worth $221,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the period. PFG Investments LLC lifted its position in Kroger by 3.3% during the first quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 4,899 shares of the company’s stock valued at $354,000 after buying an additional 157 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Kroger by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 10,747 shares of the company’s stock valued at $674,000 after buying an additional 162 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR boosted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 17,995 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,124,000 after buying an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Phillips Wealth Planners LLC grew its position in shares of Kroger by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC now owns 5,348 shares of the company’s stock worth $342,000 after buying an additional 188 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Kroger Trading Down 0.8%

NYSE KR opened at $58.37 on Tuesday. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $54.15 and a 12 month high of $76.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $61.57 and its 200-day moving average price is $65.57. The stock has a market cap of $35.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.34, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.44.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its quarterly 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.Kroger’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.49 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be issued a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. This is a boost from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 82.35%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group set a $63.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and issued a $71.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $72.00.

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.