Jones Financial Companies Lllp Purchases 7,733 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 15.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 58,117 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,733 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp’s holdings in Kroger were worth $3,806,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in KR. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new stake in Kroger during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Rossby Financial LCC bought a new stake in Kroger in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Kroger by 10,425.0% during the 2nd quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 421 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 417 shares during the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Kroger by 87.8% in the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 445 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Price Performance

NYSE:KR opened at $67.54 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $63.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of $66.20. 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 firm has a market cap of $42.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 62.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.62. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $58.60 and a 12 month high of $74.90.

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

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is 129.63%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on KR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 5th. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $68.00 target price (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Evercore set a $77.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Morgan Stanley set a $67.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Barclays set a $68.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.07.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Social and trader sentiment is upbeat about Kroger’s rebound potential despite recent profit volatility; posts highlight a low forward P/E, long dividend history and traders adding long exposure — supporting momentum and buyer interest. Kroger Stock (KR) Opinions on Recent Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional activity shows large buys from firms like Wellington, UBS and Goldman, offsetting notable sells — heavy additions by major asset managers can be a near-term support for the stock. Institutional holdings and hedge fund activity
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage is favorable: recent “Buy/Outperform” notes and a median price target around $70 (several targets higher) give investors a visible upside reference that can lift sentiment. Analyst ratings and targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger scheduled its Q4 2025 earnings conference call for March 5 — management commentary and Q&A could move the stock depending on guidance detail and margin commentary. Earnings call announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Management changes: Kroger named a new Central Division president as part of divisional reshuffling — typically neutral but worth watching for execution on regional performance. Kroger names new Central Division president
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing and seasonal demand articles (Big Game/Valentine’s Day) and consumer tips increase traffic/awareness but are unlikely to materially change fundamentals on their own. In the Kitchen with Kroger
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger plans to close 18 retail health clinics in Georgia — closures signal portfolio pruning or cost actions but could reduce ancillary revenue and customer touchpoints in those markets. Kroger to reportedly close 18 health clinics in Georgia Kroger to close 18 retail health clinics
• Negative Sentiment: Store-safety incident: local reports of a fight and an individual reportedly pulling a gun prompted an evacuation at a Kroger store — negative for brand/safety perception in that location, though limited likely to be a localized, short-term impact. Kroger evacuated after fight breaks out Person reportedly pulls gun out during fight at local Kroger

Kroger 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.