The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Sold by VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al decreased its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,615,000 shares of the company’s stock after selling 71,400 shares during the quarter. Kroger makes up approximately 0.7% of VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al’s holdings, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al owned 0.24% of Kroger worth $108,867,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the second quarter valued at approximately $518,267,000. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in Kroger by 7.9% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,126,866 shares of the company’s stock valued at $296,028,000 after purchasing an additional 300,784 shares during the period. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. grew its stake in Kroger by 101.7% during the 1st quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 4,084,584 shares of the company’s stock worth $276,485,000 after buying an additional 2,059,574 shares during the last quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC increased its position in Kroger by 2.9% in the second quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 2,956,142 shares of the company’s stock worth $212,044,000 after buying an additional 83,735 shares during the period. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its stake in Kroger by 10.5% in the second quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 2,743,113 shares of the company’s stock valued at $196,763,000 after buying an additional 260,753 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and set a $70.00 price target (down previously from $78.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Roth Capital raised shares of Kroger from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Evercore ISI set a $77.00 price target on Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $68.00 price objective (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $74.13.

Kroger Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $62.68 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $64.78 and a 200-day moving average of $67.71. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28. The firm has a market cap of $39.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 58.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.58. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $58.12 and a twelve month high of $74.90.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.02. Kroger had a return on equity of 38.06% and a net margin of 0.54%.The firm had revenue of $33.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.27 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.98 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board authorizes $2 billion incremental share repurchase, boosting total buyback capacity to roughly $2.9 billion; this reduces share count, supports EPS and provides a price floor — a clear signal management views the stock as undervalued. Kroger to buy back $2 billion in company stock
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary highlights the buyback as the primary catalyst, noting the repurchase war chest equals a meaningful percentage of market cap and can materially lift EPS and shareholder returns if executed. The Kroger Catalyst: $2 Billion Reasons to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: New customer-facing savings initiatives — the Verified Savings program (discounts on fruits & vegetables) and targeted discounts (e.g., 20% off produce for Wisconsin SNAP shoppers) — could drive store traffic, mix improvements and strengthen loyalty among value-conscious shoppers. Kroger Expands Food Access with Launch of Verified Savings Program
• Positive Sentiment: Community and PR wins (Food Angel Tree funding >15,700 holiday meals) support brand goodwill and local engagement — modestly positive for reputation and customer loyalty, though limited direct earnings impact. Kroger customers fund over 15,700 holiday meals
• Neutral Sentiment: Holiday hours and store-open notices (New Year’s Eve/Day) are operational details that help customers but are unlikely to move fundamentals or the stock materially. Are Kroger stores open on New Year 2026?
• Negative Sentiment: Ocado ends exclusivity to supply automated warehouse tech after setbacks tied to the Kroger deal — this reduces potential future upside from high-tech automated fulfillment and follows earlier impairment charges tied to that strategy, removing an optionality driver for growth. Ocado Ends Exclusivity Terms After Setbacks to Kroger Deal

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.