Perigon Wealth Management LLC Acquires New Shares in The Kroger Co. $KR

Perigon Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 9,521 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $529,000.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at $470,561,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth $195,234,000. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 1,814,721 shares during the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 48.6% in the 4th quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 4,445,479 shares of the company’s stock worth $277,754,000 after buying an additional 1,453,966 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $76,633,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on KR. HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $82.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, June 19th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Kroger from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $71.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $72.00.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $56.34 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $34.51 billion, a PE ratio of 33.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.43. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $54.15 and a 12 month high of $76.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.39. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $58.17 and a 200-day simple moving average of $64.81.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.49 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be issued a $0.39 dividend. This is a boost from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. Kroger’s payout ratio is presently 91.76%.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is expanding and refreshing its retail footprint, including new Marketplace locations in metro Atlanta and a remodeled Worthington, Ohio, store. The investments could improve customer experience, sales productivity and local market competitiveness. Kroger opens new Marketplace locations in metro Atlanta
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary remains broadly constructive: Kroger’s average brokerage recommendation is equivalent to a Buy, while recent analysis describes the shares as reasonably valued after their decline. The appointment of Nate Faust to lead e-commerce could support better digital execution and efficiency over time. Kroger stock looks reasonable as e-commerce leadership changes start
• Positive Sentiment: The nationwide rollout of Fold Bitcoin Gift Cards gives Kroger a new payments and rewards-related offering, although the near-term financial impact is likely limited. Kroger rolls out Fold Bitcoin Gift Card program nationwide
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger plans to close 60 U.S. stores in 2026. Management may be using the closures to eliminate underperforming locations and improve profitability, but the scale of the reductions raises concerns about sales, market share and restructuring costs. Kroger closing 60 stores in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Kroger’s customer traffic is declining suggest shoppers may be cutting back or shifting business to competitors. Persistent traffic weakness could pressure identical-store sales and margins. Kroger’s traffic woes reflect the market
• Negative Sentiment: A recall involving jalapeño products sold at Kroger and other retailers creates food-safety and reputational risk, though the incident also affects competitors. Products recalled over jalapeño salmonella outbreak
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger agreed to pay $75,000 to settle an EEOC disability-discrimination and retaliation lawsuit. The financial cost is small, but the case adds legal, compliance and reputational pressure. Kroger to pay $75,000 in EEOC lawsuit

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.