Johnson Financial Group Inc. Makes New Investment in The Kroger Co. $KR

Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 11,688 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $649,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Allstate Corp lifted its position in Kroger by 108.5% during the fourth quarter. Allstate Corp now owns 47,991 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,998,000 after buying an additional 24,976 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Kroger by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,169,425 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,821,546,000 after buying an additional 868,529 shares during the period. Conning Inc. increased its stake in shares of Kroger by 10,178.7% in the 4th quarter. Conning Inc. now owns 507,459 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,706,000 after acquiring an additional 502,522 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter worth about $76,633,000. Finally, Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH lifted its position in Kroger by 30.6% during the 4th quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 894,217 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,946,000 after acquiring an additional 209,264 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on KR shares. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $78.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $71.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 price target on Kroger in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Kroger currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $72.00.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is expanding and refreshing its retail footprint, including new Marketplace locations in metro Atlanta and a remodeled Worthington, Ohio, store. The investments could improve customer experience, sales productivity and local market competitiveness. Kroger opens new Marketplace locations in metro Atlanta
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary remains broadly constructive: Kroger’s average brokerage recommendation is equivalent to a Buy, while recent analysis describes the shares as reasonably valued after their decline. The appointment of Nate Faust to lead e-commerce could support better digital execution and efficiency over time. Kroger stock looks reasonable as e-commerce leadership changes start
• Positive Sentiment: The nationwide rollout of Fold Bitcoin Gift Cards gives Kroger a new payments and rewards-related offering, although the near-term financial impact is likely limited. Kroger rolls out Fold Bitcoin Gift Card program nationwide
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger plans to close 60 U.S. stores in 2026. Management may be using the closures to eliminate underperforming locations and improve profitability, but the scale of the reductions raises concerns about sales, market share and restructuring costs. Kroger closing 60 stores in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Kroger’s customer traffic is declining suggest shoppers may be cutting back or shifting business to competitors. Persistent traffic weakness could pressure identical-store sales and margins. Kroger’s traffic woes reflect the market
• Negative Sentiment: A recall involving jalapeño products sold at Kroger and other retailers creates food-safety and reputational risk, though the incident also affects competitors. Products recalled over jalapeño salmonella outbreak
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger agreed to pay $75,000 to settle an EEOC disability-discrimination and retaliation lawsuit. The financial cost is small, but the case adds legal, compliance and reputational pressure. Kroger to pay $75,000 in EEOC lawsuit

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of KR stock opened at $56.34 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $34.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.43. 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 Kroger Co. has a one year low of $54.15 and a one year high of $76.58. The company’s 50-day moving average is $58.17 and its 200 day moving average is $64.81.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued 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 firm 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%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.49 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th will be issued a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This is an increase from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 91.76%.

Kroger 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.