VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Has $87.34 Million Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al lowered its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 13.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,397,900 shares of the company’s stock after selling 217,100 shares during the quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al owned about 0.22% of Kroger worth $87,341,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. WESPAC Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Kroger by 1.2% in the third quarter. WESPAC Advisors LLC now owns 13,585 shares of the company’s stock worth $916,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. WPG Advisers LLC boosted its stake in Kroger by 16.8% in the third quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 1,160 shares of the company’s stock worth $78,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas boosted its stake in Kroger by 0.9% in the third quarter. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas now owns 18,846 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,270,000 after purchasing an additional 173 shares in the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC boosted its stake in Kroger by 3.0% in the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 6,568 shares of the company’s stock worth $471,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI boosted its stake in Kroger by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI now owns 15,756 shares of the company’s stock worth $984,000 after purchasing an additional 195 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Higher grocery inflation in April could support Kroger’s pricing power and help offset some cost pressures, which may be constructive for margins if consumers keep absorbing higher food prices. US Inflation Accelerates to 3.8% in April as Energy and Grocery Prices Surge
• Neutral Sentiment: News that Kroger completed a $1.4 million store renovation in Cedar Springs and launched an exclusive 7UP Mandarin Orange product reflects ongoing merchandising and store-investment activity, but these items are unlikely to move the stock meaningfully on their own. Kroger completes $1.4M Cedar Springs store upgrade Kroger adds exclusive new Coca-Cola rival soda
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighting Kroger’s “robust margin” performance and income-investor appeal points to continued confidence in the business, but it does not appear to be based on a fresh operating update. Robust Margin Boosted The Kroger Company (KR) Performance Robust Margin Boosted The Kroger Company (KR) Performance Should Income Investors Look At The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Before Its Ex-Dividend?
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger shares also weakened in the prior session as the market improved, suggesting some investor caution or profit-taking after the recent run. Kroger (KR) Stock Declines While Market Improves: Some Information for Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Broader concerns about grocery-sector competition, lawsuits, and pressure on Albertsons may also remind investors that the supermarket industry remains highly competitive and low-margin. Albertsons’ sales dip in this area sparks concern

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

KR has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Barclays reissued a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price target on Kroger and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Erste Group Bank lowered Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $70.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 4th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Kroger currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $74.56.

Kroger Trading Down 0.3%

NYSE:KR opened at $64.63 on Wednesday. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $58.60 and a 1-year high of $76.58. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $70.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $66.67. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $39.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.24, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.46.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The firm had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.14 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 91.50%.

About Kroger

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.