Allstate Corp Has $3 Million Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Allstate Corp raised its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 108.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 47,991 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 24,976 shares during the period. Allstate Corp’s holdings in Kroger were worth $2,998,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in Kroger by 76.6% in the fourth quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 625 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 271 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 12.2% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 16,011 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,000,000 after acquiring an additional 1,739 shares during the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 18,139 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,133,000 after acquiring an additional 824 shares during the last quarter. Glenview Trust Co raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 79.6% in the fourth quarter. Glenview Trust Co now owns 9,136 shares of the company’s stock worth $571,000 after acquiring an additional 4,050 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 18.9% in the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 26,004 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,625,000 after acquiring an additional 4,127 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $64.81 on Thursday. The Kroger Co. has a 52 week low of $58.60 and a 52 week high of $76.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.80. The company has a market capitalization of $39.71 billion, a PE ratio of 42.36, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $68.99 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $66.79.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a net margin of 0.69% and a return on equity of 41.08%. The firm had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.10 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.14 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 91.50%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KR has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 4th. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their target price on shares of Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded shares of Kroger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $70.00 to $68.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $70.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Kroger presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.87.

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is moving ahead with a plan to cut prices on thousands of items, which could help protect traffic and market share as it competes more aggressively with Walmart and Costco. Kroger plans to cut prices on thousands of items to boost competitiveness, Bloomberg report says
• Positive Sentiment: Industry commentary suggesting grocery prices may rise further could support revenue, since higher shelf prices can lift sales dollars even if unit volume growth is mixed. Americans Are About to Pay Even More at the Grocery Store
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger announced the retirement of Executive Vice President and Chief Associate Experience Officer Tim Massa, adding to a recent string of senior departures under new CEO Greg Foran; investors may see this as leadership turnover during a strategic transition. Kroger announces retirement of Tim Massa, Executive Vice President and Chief Associate Experience Officer
• Neutral Sentiment: Separately, Kroger’s broader investment case still leans on its push to become a more competitive value grocer, but that strategy may take time to show up in earnings. We Want to Be America’s Best Grocer: Kroger’s Aggressive Plan to Beat Walmart and Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Shares fell sharply in the prior session as investors worried about a tougher margin backdrop from higher grocery price competition and a weak read-through from Walmart’s profit outlook. Kroger (KR) Stock Drops Despite Market Gains: Important Facts to Note
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger also faced a product recall involving croutons in 17 states over possible salmonella contamination, which could weigh on sentiment around food safety and execution. Kroger croutons recalled in 17 states over possible salmonella contamination

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.