The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Sold by O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC

O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC reduced its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 11.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 274,246 shares of the company’s stock after selling 34,575 shares during the quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $17,135,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Kroger by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,169,425 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,821,546,000 after acquiring an additional 868,529 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in Kroger by 61.1% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 33,367,551 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,249,307,000 after acquiring an additional 12,652,261 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its position in Kroger by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 31,948,112 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,153,622,000 after acquiring an additional 386,503 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $470,561,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its position in Kroger by 15.8% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 6,327,182 shares of the company’s stock valued at $426,515,000 after acquiring an additional 865,559 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $80.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Telsey Advisory Group upped their target price on Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.73.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is leaning into traffic-driving promotions, including BOGO meat deals, discounted ice cream, a Toy Story-themed value item, and a summer fuel-savings campaign that could support store visits and customer loyalty. Kroger Just Dropped BOGO Meats, $2.99 Ice Cream, and a $10 Toy Story Find! Kroger Helps Customers Save On Their Next Fill-Up This Summer
• Positive Sentiment: The company is also promoting a new limited-edition ice cream collection and giving away free pints, which may help generate buzz and modestly lift customer engagement. Kroger has a new limited-edition ice cream collection. And you can try it for free. Want free ice cream? Kroger giving away 100K pints this month
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts continue to point to Kroger’s history of earnings beats, suggesting the stock could still have support if upcoming results are solid. Will Kroger (KR) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Separate coverage noted that Kroger has lagged the broader market over the past year, but analysts remain somewhat constructive on its growth outlook. Is Kroger Stock Underperforming the S&P 500?
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger agreed to pay $1.25 million to settle a false advertising / inaccurate calorie-count lawsuit in California, adding legal and reputational overhang. Kroger to pay $1.25M to settle false calorie advertising lawsuit Kroger to Pay $1.25 Million to Resolve False Advertising Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Expanded digital shelf labels are drawing attention as shoppers worry they could be used for surge pricing or more aggressive price changes while grocery inflation remains elevated. Kroger installs digital price tags in 1 of 4 stores as surge pricing fears grow Kroger expands digital price tags as pricing concerns grow

Kroger Stock Performance

KR opened at $62.93 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $38.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.42. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $58.60 and a 1-year high of $76.58. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $67.14 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $66.57.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were given a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is 91.50%.

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.