The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Bought by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 88.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 51,550 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 24,187 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in Kroger were worth $3,697,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $394,000. MRP Capital Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 24.1% during the second quarter. MRP Capital Investments LLC now owns 900 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the period. Advisory Services Network LLC grew its position in Kroger by 70.7% in the 2nd quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 28,355 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,988,000 after buying an additional 11,741 shares during the last quarter. Old North State Trust LLC acquired a new position in Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at $278,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in Kroger by 9.5% during the 2nd quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 6,386 shares of the company’s stock worth $458,000 after buying an additional 552 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently weighed in on KR shares. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $68.00 price objective (down previously from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Roth Capital upgraded Kroger from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $70.00 target price (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $80.00 price target (down from $82.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $74.13.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/market commentary suggests Kroger shares look attractively valued or offer discount opportunities for shoppers/investors, which could support buying interest. No Coupons Needed To Get Kroger At A Discount
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger marked a local milestone with a “grand re-opening” at its Airport Road store — a sign of continued investment in store refreshes that can help drive sales and traffic in that market. Kroger celebrates ‘Grand Re-Opening’ at Airport Road location
• Neutral Sentiment: Police report a suspect is in custody after a fatal shooting outside a Westland Kroger; a resolution to the investigation may limit prolonged reputational fallout but highlights heightened security risks for stores. Suspect in custody over fatal shooting at Westland Kroger store, police say
• Negative Sentiment: Groveland (local government/business) is seeking in excess of $1.4M from Kroger, alleging breach of contract tied to a distribution center closure. Although the amount is small relative to Kroger’s market cap, the claim underscores execution/partner-risk and could presage additional litigation or remediation costs in the region. Groveland wants $1.4 million from Kroger for facility closure
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple reports detail violent incidents at/near Kroger locations in the Detroit area, including the fatal shooting of a Salvation Army bell ringer outside a Westland store. These events raise concerns about customer and community safety, potential liability, and increased security costs, which can pressure local traffic and sales while also weighing on investor sentiment. Salvation Army bell ringer killed in shooting at Detroit-area Kroger Police search for suspect involved in shooting outside Kroger in Westland

Kroger Price Performance

KR stock opened at $62.46 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $65.60 and a 200-day moving average of $67.83. The company has a market cap of $39.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 57.84, a PEG ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $58.12 and a 12-month high of $74.90.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $33.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.27 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 38.06% and a net margin of 0.54%.Kroger’s quarterly revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.98 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Company 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.