Caprock Group LLC Takes Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Caprock Group LLC acquired a new position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 81,110 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,531,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of KR. Norges Bank bought a new position in Kroger in the 2nd quarter worth about $518,267,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH grew its holdings in Kroger by 66.6% in the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 5,255,084 shares of the company’s stock worth $354,245,000 after buying an additional 2,100,444 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its holdings in Kroger by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 4,680,219 shares of the company’s stock worth $311,843,000 after buying an additional 265,127 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in Kroger by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,309,093 shares of the company’s stock valued at $290,476,000 after acquiring an additional 41,904 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in Kroger by 7.9% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,126,866 shares of the company’s stock valued at $296,028,000 after acquiring an additional 300,784 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board taps Greg Foran (ex‑Walmart US, former Air New Zealand CEO) to lead Kroger; his track record on store operations and execution is being credited with restoring investor confidence. Fortune profile of Greg Foran
• Positive Sentiment: Shares have rallied on the CEO news and analysts have reaffirmed bullish views (Guggenheim reasserted a buy rating with a $78 target; Telsey reiterated Outperform), supporting further upside if execution follows. Benzinga note on analyst ratings
• Positive Sentiment: Market narrative now favors operational fixes over acquisitions: Kroger’s write‑downs on automated fulfillment centers have “cleared the decks,” and management is shifting to a hybrid, store‑based fulfillment model that Street analysts estimate could add roughly $400M of e‑commerce profitability in 2026. Seeking Alpha: time for re‑rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger remains shareholder‑friendly: recent accelerated buybacks and an upcoming ex‑dividend date keep income investors engaged, but these are supportive rather than transformational. (Company filings/coverage)
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger plans to close two Houston‑area stores in April as part of “long‑term health” moves — a short‑term negative for sales in those markets but consistent with a cost/portfolio optimization play. Yahoo: Houston store closures
• Negative Sentiment: Local resistance to some new store proposals (e.g., walkability concerns west of Kalamazoo) may slow expansion projects and complicate site selection. MSN: Kalamazoo walkability concerns

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on KR shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $68.00 target price (down previously from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, December 27th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $80.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $74.07.

Kroger Trading Up 1.0%

NYSE:KR opened at $68.72 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $63.14 and a 200 day simple moving average of $66.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 63.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.62. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $58.60 and a 1-year high of $74.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.02. Kroger had a return on equity of 38.06% and a net margin of 0.54%.The firm had revenue of $33.86 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.27 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $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 forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is 129.63%.

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.