Barnett & Company Inc. Lowers Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Barnett & Company Inc. lowered its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 71.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 9,074 shares of the company’s stock after selling 23,233 shares during the period. Barnett & Company Inc.’s holdings in Kroger were worth $657,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 268.1% during the 4th quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares during the period. Finally, Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on KR shares. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. UBS Group set a $63.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Kroger presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $72.00.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Traders bought an unusually large number of Kroger call options, suggesting some investors are betting on more upside in the stock. Unusual options trading on Kroger
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is moving forward with its $1.65 billion Giant Eagle deal, a major strategic move that could expand its market presence and boost long-term scale. Kroger progresses on USD 1.65 billion deal to acquire Giant Eagle
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is also investing in store upgrades, including expanding wine offerings at 147 in-store shops, which may support sales trends and customer traffic. Kroger to upgrade wine selection at 147 in-store shops
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports suggest Kroger may sell some Giant Eagle stores, especially in Columbus, as part of the broader deal. That could help with antitrust or integration issues, but it also signals potential divestitures. Kroger likely to sell some Giant Eagle stores in Columbus
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger reportedly walked back its cage-free egg pledge, which could raise questions about customer trust and ESG commitments. Kroger walks back its cage-free egg pledge

Kroger Stock Up 1.2%

Kroger stock opened at $60.58 on Friday. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $37.11 billion, a PE ratio of 35.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.44. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $62.52 and a 200-day simple moving average of $65.73. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $54.15 and a 12 month high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 analysts’ expectations of $45.59 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.49 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current fiscal 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 issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This is a positive change from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Kroger’s payout ratio is 82.35%.

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.