Patron Partners LLC Makes New Investment in The Kroger Co. $KR

Patron Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund bought 9,208 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $511,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 1.1% in the fourth 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 in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Kroger during the second quarter worth $3,016,956,000. State Street Corp boosted its position in Kroger by 1.2% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 31,948,112 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,153,622,000 after purchasing an additional 386,503 shares during the last quarter. GQG Partners LLC boosted its position in Kroger by 11.3% in the fourth quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 13,398,072 shares of the company’s stock worth $837,113,000 after purchasing an additional 1,360,946 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in Kroger by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 12,296,026 shares of the company’s stock valued at $889,878,000 after purchasing an additional 53,625 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on KR. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, June 1st. UBS Group set a $63.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $72.00.

Kroger Stock Up 2.7%

Kroger stock opened at $57.86 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $57.88 and a 200 day simple moving average of $64.71. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $54.15 and a 1-year high of $76.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.43.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its earnings results 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). Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The company had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $45.59 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.49 EPS. The company’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. On average, analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. This is an increase from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is 91.76%.

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s dividend profile continues to attract attention from income-focused investors. Analysts reviewing the stock highlight its potential appeal as a dividend investment, which could support demand for the shares. Kroger Could Be a Great Choice
• Positive Sentiment: The company is expanding its Fold Bitcoin Gift Card offering after a successful pilot, adding another digital and cryptocurrency-related feature for customers. The initiative is strategically positive but is unlikely to materially affect near-term financial results. Kroger Expands Fold Bitcoin Gift Card Offering
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is unveiling a remodeled store in Worthington, Ohio, reflecting continued investment in store quality and the customer experience. Kroger to Unveil Remodeled Store
• Neutral Sentiment: An ice cream brand sold at Kroger and other retailers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The filing concerns the supplier’s ownership and future rather than Kroger’s finances, so the direct impact on KR appears limited. Ice Cream Brand Files for Chapter 11
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s annual food-bank and peanut-butter donation efforts may support community goodwill but should have little direct effect on valuation. Kroger Holds Peanut Butter Drive
• Neutral Sentiment: Cincinnati officials limited protests near Kroger’s headquarters following complaints from a nearby small-business owner. The development reduces immediate disruption but highlights ongoing local tensions. Cincinnati Limits Kroger HQ Protests
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger plans to close 60 stores during 2026. Although closures could improve the portfolio by removing underperforming locations, the scale of the reductions raises concerns about sales, market presence and restructuring costs. Kroger to Shutter 60 Stores
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger faces a proposed $17 million class-action settlement involving pharmacy customers who used insurance for prescriptions. The settlement would create a financial cost and adds legal and reputational risk, though the amount is modest relative to Kroger’s scale. Kroger Pharmacy Settlement
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger agreed to pay $75,000 to resolve an EEOC disability-discrimination and retaliation lawsuit. The payment is financially immaterial but adds to legal and compliance headlines. Kroger EEOC Lawsuit Settlement

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.