The Kroger Co. $KR Stock: Nisa Investment Advisors LLC Cuts Stake

Nisa Investment Advisors LLC reduced its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 22.9% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 204,898 shares of the company’s stock after selling 61,001 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $12,011,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Louisbourg Investments Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 18.3% in the third quarter. Louisbourg Investments Inc. now owns 3,325 shares of the company’s stock worth $195,000 after buying an additional 515 shares during the period. Cypress Capital LLC increased its stake in Kroger by 4.3% in the third quarter. Cypress Capital LLC now owns 47,029 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,757,000 after purchasing an additional 1,950 shares during the period. Kenora Financial LLC grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 6.8% in the third quarter. Kenora Financial LLC now owns 4,726 shares of the company’s stock worth $277,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares during the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC increased its stake in Kroger by 7.7% in the 3rd quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 4,274 shares of the company’s stock worth $251,000 after buying an additional 306 shares during the period. Finally, Retirement Planning Group LLC increased its stake in Kroger by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. Retirement Planning Group LLC now owns 6,304 shares of the company’s stock worth $370,000 after buying an additional 270 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Price Performance

KR opened at $67.90 on Friday. 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 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $59.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $61.40. The company has a market capitalization of $40.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.83, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.36.

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

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 84.78%.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger plans to invest approximately $5 billion through 2029 to lower prices, simplify promotions and strengthen its value proposition against Walmart and Costco. Management says the initiative will be funded partly by roughly $4 billion in savings, including productivity improvements and technology adoption. Kroger Is Spending $5 Billion to Cut Prices
• Positive Sentiment: The investor-day strategy also includes expanded e-commerce and digital capabilities, more streamlined operations and three refreshed store formats emphasizing fresh food and online fulfillment. These investments could improve customer traffic, productivity and competitive positioning over time. Five Big Numbers from Kroger’s Investor Day
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s plan to reduce corporate staffing through AI and other efficiencies could lower its cost base and help finance price reductions. Analysts continue to view the shares favorably, with the stock receiving a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating. Kroger Stock Rated Moderate Buy

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Kroger news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 175,233 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,636,643.10. This trade represents a 29.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Roth Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $73.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, September 14th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $60.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group set a $66.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $70.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane raised shares of Kroger from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $72.00 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $70.35.

Kroger Profile

The Kroger Co is a U.S. food and grocery retailer headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883, the company operates supermarkets under banners that include Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, King Soopers, Fry’s, Harris Teeter and Smith’s, among others.

Kroger’s business includes the sale of fresh food, groceries, general merchandise, household products and health and beauty items. Many of its stores also provide pharmacy services and fuel centers. The company offers digital shopping, pickup and delivery services, loyalty programs and a range of private-label products, including Simple Truth, Private Selection and Kroger-branded products.

Kroger primarily serves customers across the United States, with stores concentrated in the Midwest, South, West and parts of the Mid-Atlantic region.