The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Sold by Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd.

Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. reduced its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 3.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 278,067 shares of the company’s stock after selling 8,717 shares during the period. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Kroger were worth $20,170,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in KR. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 45.5% during the 3rd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 855,810 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,690,000 after purchasing an additional 267,434 shares during the last quarter. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd grew its holdings in Kroger by 18.1% in the 3rd quarter. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd now owns 150,356 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,135,000 after buying an additional 23,027 shares in the last quarter. Allstate Corp increased its stake in shares of Kroger by 108.5% in the 4th quarter. Allstate Corp now owns 47,991 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,998,000 after acquiring an additional 24,976 shares during the last quarter. JCP Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the 3rd quarter worth $1,773,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Kroger by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,169,425 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,821,546,000 after purchasing an additional 868,529 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is moving ahead with its $1.65 billion Giant Eagle deal, which could expand its footprint and strengthen scale in key markets. Kroger progresses on USD 1.65 billion deal to acquire Giant Eagle
• Positive Sentiment: The company is also rolling out new in-store wine shops and tasting bars at 147 locations, a sign Kroger is investing in higher-margin customer experiences and store upgrades. Kroger to upgrade wine selection at 147 in-store shops, including NKY
• Neutral Sentiment: Media reports say Kroger is likely to divest some Giant Eagle stores in Columbus as part of the merger process, which appears to be a routine regulatory step rather than a fundamental setback. Kroger likely to sell some Giant Eagle stores in Columbus
• Neutral Sentiment: Another report says Kroger is walking back its cage-free egg pledge, which could reduce costs but may also draw attention from shoppers and activists. Kroger walks back its cage-free egg pledge | Exclusive
• Neutral Sentiment: Other coverage centered on the merger, store sales, and Kroger’s long-term positioning, but did not add materially new financial details. 5 things to know about the Kroger-Giant Eagle deal

Kroger Trading Up 0.9%

NYSE KR opened at $59.88 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $36.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.23, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.44. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $54.15 and a one year high of $76.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.79. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $62.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $65.77.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The business had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.59 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.49 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. Equities research 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. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This is a boost from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 82.35%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $71.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. UBS Group set a $63.00 target price on Kroger and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Citigroup reduced their target price on Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, June 20th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $72.00.

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.