California Public Employees Retirement System Sells 327,858 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

California Public Employees Retirement System lessened its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 20.0% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 1,307,504 shares of the company’s stock after selling 327,858 shares during the quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System’s holdings in Kroger were worth $94,611,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,169,425 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,821,546,000 after purchasing an additional 868,529 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Kroger by 1.2% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 31,948,112 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,153,622,000 after purchasing an additional 386,503 shares during the last quarter. GQG Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Kroger by 11.3% in the fourth quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 13,398,072 shares of the company’s stock worth $837,113,000 after purchasing an additional 1,360,946 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in Kroger by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 12,242,401 shares of the company’s stock worth $764,932,000 after purchasing an additional 122,606 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in Kroger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $470,561,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger announced a partnership with Mid-Ohio Food Collective aimed at a $100,000 flash match goal, highlighting continued community engagement and brand goodwill. Kroger partners with Mid-Ohio Food Collective for $100,000 flash match goal
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is expanding its wine business with 147 new wine shops nationwide, a move that could support higher-margin sales and strengthen its premium offerings. Kroger bets on luxury wines with 147 new wine shops nationwide
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and media coverage continue to debate Kroger’s valuation, with one recent piece suggesting the stock may be trading near fair value rather than at a discount. Is Kroger (KR) Stock Trading Around Fair Value Today?
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s proposed acquisition activity is still facing regulatory review, with possible divestitures discussed, which keeps the deal story active but uncertain for investors. Kroger (KR) Awaits Giant Eagle Review As Tempo Starts Cook Never Club
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple reports of a shooting at a Cypress Kroger location, including critical injuries and an arrest, may weigh on sentiment due to safety concerns and potential reputational damage. Suspect charged after shooting inside Cypress Kroger; security expert shares tips on how to survive a violent situation
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage says Kroger foot traffic has slumped for a third straight month, suggesting softer in-store demand and pressure on near-term sales trends. Kroger foot traffic slumps, analyst says, continuing a three-month trend
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Kroger scrapped most of its Florida Harris Teeter expansion plans also point to slower growth expectations in a key market. Kroger scraps plans for 80 Harris Teeter stores in Florida, except 1

Kroger Stock Up 0.1%

KR opened at $58.89 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $54.15 and a 1-year high of $76.58. The company has a market capitalization of $36.08 billion, a PE ratio of 34.64, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.44. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $61.70 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $65.60.

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

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. This is a boost from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 82.35%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KR has been the subject of a number of research reports. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $80.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 price objective on Kroger in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, UBS Group set a $63.00 target price on Kroger and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given 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 $72.00.

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.