The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Sold by Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI

Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI lessened its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 27.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 28,851 shares of the company’s stock after selling 11,164 shares during the period. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI’s holdings in Kroger were worth $2,088,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Allstate Corp raised its stake 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 purchasing an additional 24,976 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Kroger by 1.1% in 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. Conning Inc. raised its holdings in Kroger by 10,178.7% in the 4th quarter. Conning Inc. now owns 507,459 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,706,000 after acquiring an additional 502,522 shares during the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH lifted its stake in shares of Kroger by 30.6% during the 4th quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 894,217 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,946,000 after purchasing an additional 209,264 shares during the period. Finally, North Dakota State Investment Board purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth $1,299,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Price Performance

Kroger stock opened at $57.81 on Wednesday. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $54.15 and a 52-week high of $76.58. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $61.43 and a 200-day moving average of $65.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.00, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its 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). Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The business had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.49 EPS. The business’s revenue 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, analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Kroger’s payout ratio is presently 82.35%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on KR shares. Erste Group Bank downgraded Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 target price on Kroger and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. UBS Group set a $63.00 price target on Kroger and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, June 19th. Finally, Barclays set a $61.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus 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.