The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) has received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the nineteen brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and ten have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $72.00.

KR has been the subject of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Barclays set a $61.00 price target on Kroger and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Wall Street Zen cut Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, June 20th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $80.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, June 19th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kroger

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 2nd quarter valued at $3,016,956,000. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 6,190.2% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 43,768,080 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,430,441,000 after purchasing an additional 43,072,270 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 31,948,112 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,153,622,000 after purchasing an additional 386,503 shares during the last quarter. GQG Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 11.3% during the fourth quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 13,398,072 shares of the company’s stock worth $837,113,000 after purchasing an additional 1,360,946 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in Kroger by 0.4% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 12,296,026 shares of the company’s stock valued at $889,878,000 after purchasing an additional 53,625 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Investors purchased approximately 36,013 call options on Kroger, about 168% above the typical daily volume. The activity may indicate increased speculative or hedging interest in a potential rebound, although options trading alone does not guarantee future gains.
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s nationwide Instacart integration allows customers to combine groceries and eligible prescription deliveries in one order across more than 2,200 pharmacy locations and nearly all major banners. The initiative could increase digital engagement, convenience and order frequency. How Investors May Respond To Kroger Linking Prescriptions With Instacart-Powered Online Grocery Delivery
• Positive Sentiment: Murray’s Cheese is introducing a premium cave-aged collection at select Harris Teeter stores in the Charlotte area. The launch supports Kroger’s differentiated product offerings, though its direct financial impact is likely modest. Murray’s Cheese Debuts Exclusive Cave Aged Collection at Harris Teeter

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of KR stock opened at $56.87 on Friday. Kroger has a 1 year low of $54.15 and a 1 year 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 firm’s 50 day moving average is $57.61 and its 200-day moving average is $64.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.45, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.43.

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

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. This is a positive change from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Kroger’s payout ratio is presently 91.76%.

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.