31,491 The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Acquired by Valley Wealth Managers Inc.

Valley Wealth Managers Inc. raised its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 8.9% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 386,667 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 31,491 shares during the quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc.’s holdings in Kroger were worth $22,666,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of KR. GK Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Kroger in the third quarter valued at about $33,000. Riversedge Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 3rd quarter valued at about $251,000. Wedmont Private Capital increased its position in shares of Kroger by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 10,088 shares of the company’s stock valued at $620,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares during the last quarter. Monument Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $341,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Kroger by 19.4% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 34,543 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,025,000 after purchasing an additional 5,603 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on KR shares. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $68.00 price objective on Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Telsey Advisory Group lowered their target price on Kroger from $78.00 to $75.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $69.82.

Trending Headlines about Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is reopening a remodeled Lancaster, Ohio, store following an approximately $1.8 million investment. The updated location includes refreshed grocery departments, fuel offerings and promotional incentives, which could improve customer experience and sales productivity. Kroger to unveil $1.8 million Lancaster store remodel with grand reopening Friday
• Positive Sentiment: A new Paw Patrol-branded peanut-butter-and-jelly product is launching nationwide at Kroger, adding another packaged-food item that could support product variety and private-label or partnership-related sales. INCREDIFULLS PAW PATROL PB&J CUPS LAUNCH NATIONWIDE AT KROGER
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage indicates Kroger customers continue shopping for fuel despite record gasoline prices, potentially supporting fuel-station traffic and loyalty-program engagement. Kroger and Costco shoppers refuse to let record gas prices win
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s revised employee dress policy is intended to create a more polished, customer-facing store environment. The change may help branding, but its direct financial effect is likely limited. The Friday Checkout: Why Kroger and Target store workers are dressing to impress
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger Health President Colleen Lindholz is retiring after more than 30 years. Her departure creates a leadership transition in pharmacy, clinics and the Food as Medicine platform, though Kroger credited her with expanding the healthcare strategy. Kroger President Colleen Lindholz Retires After More Than 30 Years
• Negative Sentiment: One analysis argues that Kroger’s valuation looks demanding after a roughly 75% five-year shareholder gain, raising questions about whether current earnings adequately support the share price. Kroger Stock Looks Pricey Despite A 75% Five Year Gain
• Negative Sentiment: A U.S. senator criticized Kroger’s proposed Giant Eagle transaction and other grocery deals, keeping political and regulatory uncertainty around Kroger’s consolidation strategy in focus. U.S. senator slams Kroger, Giant Eagle deal and two others

Insider Transactions at Kroger

In other news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total transaction of $4,425,090.70. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 175,233 shares in the company, valued at $10,636,643.10. This trade represents a 29.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Kroger Price Performance

NYSE:KR opened at $61.59 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $58.35 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $62.02. The Kroger Co. has a 52 week low of $54.15 and a 52 week high of $76.58. The stock has a market cap of $36.37 billion, a PE ratio of 33.47, a P/E/G ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its earnings results on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $34.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.64 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 49.90% and a net margin of 0.73%. The firm’s revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.04 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be paid a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 84.78%.

Kroger Profile

The Kroger Co is a U.S.-based food and consumer goods retailer headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, the company has grown into one of the largest supermarket operators in the United States.

Kroger operates supermarkets, multi-department stores, marketplace-format stores, pharmacies and fuel centers. Its stores sell groceries, fresh produce, meat, seafood, bakery and deli products, household essentials, health and beauty items, and general merchandise. The company also offers digital shopping, pickup and delivery services, loyalty programs, and a range of private-label products.

The company serves customers across numerous U.S.