The Kroger Co. $KR is denkapparat Operations GmbH’s 10th Largest Position

denkapparat Operations GmbH boosted its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 82.8% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 38,766 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 17,558 shares during the period. Kroger accounts for about 0.7% of denkapparat Operations GmbH’s portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. denkapparat Operations GmbH’s holdings in Kroger were worth $2,153,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of KR. SGL Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the second quarter worth $2,764,000. Allstate Corp raised its stake in Kroger by 108.5% in the fourth quarter. Allstate Corp now owns 47,991 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,998,000 after buying an additional 24,976 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth about $76,633,000. Conning Inc. lifted its holdings in Kroger by 10,178.7% during the 4th quarter. Conning Inc. now owns 507,459 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,706,000 after buying an additional 502,522 shares during the last quarter. Finally, North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth about $1,299,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger named Mark Ibbotson executive vice president and chief store operations officer, effective September 14. His experience leading Walmart’s e-commerce platform could support Kroger’s digital ordering, store productivity and omnichannel strategy. Kroger names Mark Ibbotson Executive Vice President and Chief Store Operations Officer
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerages collectively maintain a “Moderate Buy” rating on KR, suggesting analysts see potential upside but not a strong consensus catalyst. Kroger Given Average Rating of Moderate Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts describe Kroger’s valuation as broadly fair after a roughly 40% five-year return. The assessment offers limited support for the shares but does not identify a compelling bargain. Kroger Stock Looks Fair On Earnings While Returns Stay Strong
• Neutral Sentiment: New Kroger Marketplace developments in London, including a Crumbl Cookies location, indicate continued investment in stores and expanded customer offerings, although the direct financial impact appears limited. Kroger Marketplace and Crumbl Cookies Among New London Developments
• Negative Sentiment: Oppenheimer expects Kroger’s fiscal second-quarter identical sales to fall short of consensus amid a challenging grocery environment. A weaker same-store sales outlook raises concerns about customer traffic, pricing and margin performance. Kroger Could Miss Quarterly Identical Sales Views
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger’s planned $1.65 billion grocery acquisition is drawing scrutiny because the company remains in litigation related to its prior merger attempt. Reusing a similar regulatory strategy could increase execution risk, legal costs and uncertainty around the deal. Kroger Is Buying Another Grocery Chain While Still in Court
• Negative Sentiment: A recent sell-focused analysis points to Kroger’s underperformance over the past six months and argues that investors may find more attractive opportunities elsewhere. This reinforces the broader cautious tone surrounding the shares. 3 Reasons to Sell KR and 1 Stock to Buy Instead

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on KR. Wall Street Zen downgraded Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, June 20th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and set a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Barclays set a $61.00 price target on Kroger and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $82.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, June 19th. Finally, Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $71.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Ten investment 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, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $71.75.

Kroger Stock Up 0.5%

KR opened at $58.53 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $57.69 and its 200-day simple moving average is $64.09. 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 Kroger Co. has a one year low of $54.15 and a one year high of $76.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $35.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.41.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $46.12 billion during 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.49 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. Analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th were paid a $0.39 dividend. This is an increase from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 91.76%.

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.