Investors Buy High Volume of Kroger Call Options (NYSE:KR)

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) was the recipient of some unusual options trading on Wednesday. Investors acquired 23,336 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 49% compared to the typical volume of 15,681 call options.

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank upgraded Kroger from Hold to Buy and set a $75 price target (roughly ~25% upside vs. current levels), a clear catalyst for fresh buy interest and analyst-led flows. Kroger resumed with a Buy at Deutsche Bank
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call buying (≈23,336 contracts, ~49% above average) signals short-term bullish positioning by traders, which can amplify upside as market makers hedge by buying shares.
• Positive Sentiment: New customer-facing programs — a “Verified Savings” produce-discount plan and the Yearly Checkout feature that highlights household savings — should help drive loyalty and basket value, supporting comps and membership metrics. Kroger Unveils Customer’s 2025 Yearly Checkout Verified Savings program
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary on rival Albertsons highlights sector valuation dynamics (Albertsons pitched as deep-value vs. Kroger’s higher multiple); this frames investor comparisons but is not a direct company development. Albertsons: Deep Value on the Surface, Opportunity Beneath?
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger will close about 60 stores as it refocuses on stronger markets after a failed merger effort — a short-term headwind to revenue and potential severance/closure costs, though the move may improve long‑term portfolio profitability. Kroger to close 60 stores
• Negative Sentiment: An Orion, MI Kroger was temporarily closed after inspectors found rodent evidence — a localized operational/PR issue that could pressure store-level sales and invites regulatory scrutiny if not contained. Orion Kroger temporarily closed

Institutional Trading of Kroger

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in Kroger by 27.3% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,733 shares of the company’s stock worth $962,000 after purchasing an additional 3,373 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Kroger by 10.2% during the 1st quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 9,309 shares of the company’s stock valued at $630,000 after purchasing an additional 864 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 38.5% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 118,377 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,013,000 after buying an additional 32,930 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 25.2% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 87,237 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,905,000 after buying an additional 17,582 shares during the period. Finally, Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Kroger by 7.9% during the first quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 9,669 shares of the company’s stock valued at $654,000 after buying an additional 705 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Roth Capital upgraded Kroger from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 target price for the company in a research note on Thursday. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $68.00 price target (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.19.

Kroger Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $59.85 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $63.96 and its 200 day moving average price is $67.43. The company has a market cap of $37.87 billion, a PE ratio of 55.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.61. Kroger has a fifty-two week low of $58.12 and a fifty-two week high of $74.90.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.02. Kroger had a return on equity of 38.06% and a net margin of 0.54%.The business had revenue of $33.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.27 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.98 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Kroger will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current 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.