The Kroger Co. $KR Stock Sold by Russell Investments Group Ltd.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. lessened its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,789,061 shares of the company’s stock after selling 28,198 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned about 0.47% of Kroger worth $163,522,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of KR. Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at $31,000. North Point Portfolio Managers Corp OH acquired a new position in Kroger during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. GK Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 979.6% in the 3rd quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 583 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 529 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 75.0% in the 3rd quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 700 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KR has been the subject of several analyst reports. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating and set a $57.00 target price (down from $61.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. Melius Research set a $80.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. UBS Group set a $66.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Wall Street Zen raised Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and set a $68.00 target price (up from $66.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $70.35.

Recent Kroger Headlines

Investors following KR have been watching these headlines:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger Atlanta opened a $39 million Marketplace in Locust Grove, while another report notes a fourth new store in central Ohio since 2024. These investments support expansion, though their individual effect on companywide results is likely limited. Kroger Atlanta Opens $39M Marketplace In Locust Grove Kroger opens fourth new store in central Ohio since 2024
• Neutral Sentiment: A report says Kroger will close all stores for 24 hours next month. The planned one-day closure may affect shopping schedules, but the headline does not indicate a lasting financial impact. Grocery giant Kroger gives go-ahead to shut down all 1,233 stores for 24 hours next month
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage highlights discount retailers including Five Below and Dollar General as competitors challenging traditional grocers. More price-focused competition could pressure Kroger’s customer traffic, pricing, or margins. Five Below and Dollar General challenge Kroger, Publix

Kroger Trading Up 0.5%

NYSE:KR opened at $69.81 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $54.15 and a twelve month high of $76.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $62.54 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $63.84. The company has a market cap of $41.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.36.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $34.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.64 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.73% and a return on equity of 49.90%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.04 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.20 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be given a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 84.78%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Kroger news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction on Friday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total value of $4,425,090.70. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 175,233 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,636,643.10. The trade was a 29.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Profile

The Kroger Co. is a U.S. grocery retailer founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1883 by Bernard Kroger. It operates supermarkets and other grocery formats across the United States under banners including Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, King Soopers, and Smith’s. Alongside groceries and household essentials, Kroger stores offer services such as pharmacies and fuel centers. The company also sells products under its own private-label brands and produces many of those items through its food manufacturing operations.