Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Sells 12,981 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. reduced its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 6.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 194,948 shares of the company’s stock after selling 12,981 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.’s holdings in Kroger were worth $14,106,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. CENTRAL TRUST Co raised its position in Kroger by 17.3% during the 1st quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 10,832 shares of the company’s stock valued at $784,000 after purchasing an additional 1,601 shares in the last quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Kroger by 21.4% during the 1st quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 12,484 shares of the company’s stock worth $903,000 after buying an additional 2,200 shares in the last quarter. Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter valued at $206,000. Sara Bay Financial purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter valued at $206,000. Finally, Sovereign Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 5.4% in the first quarter. Sovereign Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,860 shares of the company’s stock valued at $352,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger raised its quarterly dividend by 11% to $0.39 per share, signaling confidence in cash flow and extending its record of annual dividend increases. Kroger’s Board of Directors Raises Quarterly Dividend by 11%
• Positive Sentiment: The company expanded its rewards program so shoppers can now redeem points for dollars off groceries in-store and online, not just fuel discounts, which could help boost customer retention and spending frequency. Kroger Rewards Program Expands with New Ways to Save
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger also announced additional loyalty-program enhancements and promotional tie-ins, including fuel points being usable for groceries, reinforcing its value proposition at a time when consumers remain price-sensitive. Kroger expands loyalty program: What you need to know
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger updated board leadership and director compensation, but the move appears administrative and is unlikely to materially affect near-term fundamentals. Kroger Updates Board Leadership Role and Director Compensation
• Neutral Sentiment: Management is leaning into seasonal merchandising and marketing around July 4th, which supports sales but is not a major new catalyst. Kroger Fires Up Fourth of July Celebrations with Trending “Flight” Food Experiences
• Negative Sentiment: A recalled chicken product over allergens is a consumer-safety issue that could create reputational noise, though the direct financial impact looks limited. Kroger, Fred Meyer chicken recalled over allergens

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on KR. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Kroger from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $71.94.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $57.84 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.39. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $55.60 and a 1 year high of $76.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.43 billion, a PE ratio of 34.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.42. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $64.45 and its 200-day moving average price is $66.06.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The firm had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.49 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. This is a boost from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 82.35%.

About Kroger

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.