99,961 Shares in The Kroger Co. $KR Acquired by Berger Financial Group Inc

Berger Financial Group Inc bought a new position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 99,961 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,233,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of KR. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. increased its stake in Kroger by 45.5% in the third quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 855,810 shares of the company’s stock valued at $57,690,000 after purchasing an additional 267,434 shares during the last quarter. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd boosted its stake in Kroger by 18.1% in the 3rd quarter. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd now owns 150,356 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,135,000 after buying an additional 23,027 shares during the last quarter. JCP Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,773,000. Allstate Corp grew its holdings in Kroger by 108.5% in the 4th quarter. Allstate Corp now owns 47,991 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,998,000 after buying an additional 24,976 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Kroger by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,169,425 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,821,546,000 after acquiring an additional 868,529 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KR has been the topic of several research analyst reports. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $71.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, June 20th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Kroger has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $71.94.

Kroger Price Performance

Kroger stock opened at $58.12 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $63.32 and a 200-day moving average of $65.85. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $54.15 and a 52-week high of $76.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.19, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.44.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The business had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $45.59 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.49 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be given a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This is a positive change from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 82.35%.

Trending Headlines about Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s Giant Eagle purchase could expand its presence in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, adding about 197 stores and roughly $9 billion in annual revenue while strengthening scale and market share. The Kroger Co. set to purchase Giant Eagle Inc.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have described the deal as margin-stable and potentially EPS-accretive, and Guggenheim reaffirmed a buy rating with a $71 price target, signaling confidence in Kroger’s expansion strategy. Kroger’s $1.65bn Giant Eagle Deal Seen as Margin‑Stable, EPS‑Accretive Growth Catalyst Supporting Buy Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: The acquisition is expected to close in 2027 and still needs regulatory approval, so execution risk remains a factor even though the deal appears smaller and less complex than the blocked Albertsons transaction. Kroger Thinks Smaller With $1.65B Giant Eagle Buy After Albertsons Merger Fizzled
• Neutral Sentiment: New coverage also highlighted Kroger’s ongoing focus on retail media, e-commerce, and broader omnichannel growth, which supports the long-term investment case but does not by itself change near-term fundamentals. 2 Supermarket Stocks Set to Thrive Despite Industry Headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Some investor reaction is cautious because the grocery sector remains competitive and consolidation deals can bring regulatory, financial, and integration risks, especially after Kroger’s prior merger attempt failed. Kroger just shook up the supermarket landscape

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.