Schroder Investment Management Group Buys 116,077 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Schroder Investment Management Group raised its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 8.4% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 1,491,076 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 116,077 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group’s holdings in Kroger were worth $99,052,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at $518,267,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH grew its position in Kroger by 66.6% during the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 5,255,084 shares of the company’s stock worth $354,245,000 after acquiring an additional 2,100,444 shares during the last quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC grew its position in Kroger by 299.6% during the 2nd quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 2,420,495 shares of the company’s stock worth $173,622,000 after acquiring an additional 1,814,721 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. increased its holdings in Kroger by 95.6% in the 2nd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 2,434,663 shares of the company’s stock worth $174,638,000 after purchasing an additional 1,190,127 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP acquired a new position in Kroger in the 2nd quarter worth about $65,450,000. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Trading Down 0.9%

KR opened at $73.46 on Tuesday. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $58.60 and a 1-year high of $74.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The company has a market cap of $46.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $65.57 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $65.86.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.10 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.69% and a return on equity of 41.08%. The business’s revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.14 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 91.50%.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger re-launches its large “Customer Appreciation Week” promotion (March 11–17), which should drive traffic and short-term same-store-sales and margin opportunities from exclusive deal drops. Kroger Brings Back Customer Appreciation Week with Special Savings
• Positive Sentiment: CEO-elect Rodney Foran is publicly bullish on Kroger’s prospects (“has all the ingredients to win”), signaling continuity on growth and merchandising execution that investors typically view as supportive for longer-term revenue and margin improvement. Kroger has ‘all the ingredients to win,’ new CEO Foran says
• Positive Sentiment: Market signals show bullish positioning: heavy call-option buying suggests some traders expect upside in the near term. Stock Traders Buy High Volume of Call Options on Kroger (NYSE:KR)
• Positive Sentiment: Roth MKM reiterated a “Buy” on KR, providing analyst-level support that can counterbalance neutral/negative takes. Kroger’s (KR) “Buy” Rating Reiterated at Roth Mkm
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target from $68 to $71 but kept a “Neutral” rating — a modest upward revision that still sits below Kroger’s current price, signaling limited immediate upside from this update. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Sen. John Boozman purchased Kroger shares — a small, non-company insider signal that may draw attention but is unlikely to move fundamentals. Sen. John Boozman Purchases Shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)
• Negative Sentiment: Supermarket News highlights concerns that working conditions could worsen under the new CEO — labor tensions or morale issues raise the risk of higher costs, union friction or operational disruptions. SN top 10: Will working conditions worsen at Kroger under new CEO?
• Negative Sentiment: A report links a popular frozen chicken sold at Kroger (and Trader Joe’s) to possible glass contamination — a product-safety story that can prompt recalls, erode consumer trust and hit near-term sales and costs if confirmed. This popular frozen chicken from Trader Joe’s and Kroger may have glass in it

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KR has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Citigroup lifted their price target on Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday. Barclays reaffirmed a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 27th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Kroger presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $74.56.

Kroger Company 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.