Burney Co. Sells 11,472 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Burney Co. reduced its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 9.2% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 113,312 shares of the company’s stock after selling 11,472 shares during the quarter. Burney Co.’s holdings in Kroger were worth $8,199,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Kroger by 268.1% in the fourth quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new position in Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Kroger during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Reports say Kroger is moving forward with a Giant Eagle acquisition, with Columbus discussed as a possible area for divestitures. The deal could expand Kroger’s store base and improve regional competition. Kroger eyes Columbus for Giant Eagle divestitures: reports
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles highlight that the Giant Eagle purchase could give Kroger (KR) a bigger presence in the Northeast and make it a tougher competitor against Walmart and other grocers, which may support investor optimism. Kroger acquiring Giant Eagle: What the $1.7B deal means for grocery competition
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger also named Emilee De Martino, a McDonald’s executive, as its new chief people officer, signaling continued leadership refresh and management continuity after a retirement. Kroger names Emilee De Martino executive VP, chief people officer
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary suggests Kroger is using AI and loyalty data to improve customer personalization and retail media targeting, which could help advertising and digital revenue growth over time. Can AI Strengthen Kroger’s Customer Personalization Strategy?
• Neutral Sentiment: One report noted grocery recalls affecting Walmart, Target, and Kroger shoppers in Texas; this is more of an industry/consumer issue than a clear company-specific earnings catalyst. Grocery recalls affect Walmart, Target and Kroger shoppers in Texas
• Neutral Sentiment: A separate story mentioned July store closures involving Kroger alongside other retailers, but it does not appear to be a major KR-specific fundamental driver. Kroger and 8 Other Major Stores That Are Closing in July
• Negative Sentiment: Because the Giant Eagle deal may require divestitures and regulatory scrutiny, there is some risk of integration complexity or reduced synergies, which could temper enthusiasm if the transaction faces hurdles. Kroger hires McDonald’s exec as chief people officer, succeeding retiring Massa

Kroger Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $58.27 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $35.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.39. The business has a 50-day moving average of $63.32 and a two-hundred day moving average of $65.87. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $54.15 and a 1 year high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.49 EPS. The company’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, equities analysts predict 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 paid a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This is an increase from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. Kroger’s payout ratio is presently 82.35%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on KR. UBS Group set a $63.00 price target on Kroger and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, June 19th. Barclays set a $61.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, June 20th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $71.94.

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.