Franklin Resources Inc. Sells 138,139 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Franklin Resources Inc. reduced its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 6.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,854,659 shares of the company’s stock after selling 138,139 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned 0.29% of Kroger worth $115,879,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 10.1% during the fourth quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 3,357,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $209,761,000 after buying an additional 309,064 shares during the last quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC grew its position in Kroger by 6.7% in the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 6,031 shares of the company’s stock worth $377,000 after purchasing an additional 381 shares in the last quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in Kroger in the 4th quarter worth about $42,000. ING Groep NV grew its position in Kroger by 166.6% in the 4th quarter. ING Groep NV now owns 78,989 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,935,000 after purchasing an additional 49,356 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. grew its position in Kroger by 46.3% in the 4th quarter. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. now owns 23,715 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,482,000 after purchasing an additional 7,506 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on KR. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 1st. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group increased their price target on shares of Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.73.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $64.53 on Thursday. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $58.60 and a 52-week high of $76.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $39.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a fifty day moving average of $66.96 and a 200-day moving average of $66.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.80.

Trending Headlines about Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s stock gained after the company continued to draw attention for resilient trading and a history of beating earnings estimates, which has helped support investor optimism around its next quarterly report. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company is rolling out promotions and shopper-focused deals, including free ice cream, BOGO meats, lower-priced items, and summer fuel savings, which may help traffic and customer loyalty. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is also getting product-placement and store-traffic benefits from branded launches and local store expansion news, including a new M&M’s flavor at Kroger stores and an Elkview location expected to open in 2027. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts note Kroger has lagged the broader S&P 500 over the past year, but views on its longer-term growth prospects remain somewhat constructive. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger agreed to pay $1.25 million to settle a false advertising case over inaccurate calorie counts, adding another legal cost and keeping attention on compliance risk. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Separate reporting on digital shelf labels and “surge pricing” fears could increase investor concern that pricing changes may create customer backlash or regulatory scrutiny. Article Title

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.