Nisa Investment Advisors LLC Sells 61,001 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Nisa Investment Advisors LLC reduced its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 22.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 204,898 shares of the company’s stock after selling 61,001 shares during the quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $12,011,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Louisbourg Investments Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 18.3% during the third quarter. Louisbourg Investments Inc. now owns 3,325 shares of the company’s stock valued at $195,000 after buying an additional 515 shares during the last quarter. Cypress Capital LLC raised its holdings in Kroger by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. Cypress Capital LLC now owns 47,029 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,757,000 after acquiring an additional 1,950 shares during the last quarter. Kenora Financial LLC lifted its position in Kroger by 6.8% in the 3rd quarter. Kenora Financial LLC now owns 4,726 shares of the company’s stock valued at $277,000 after acquiring an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC lifted its position in Kroger by 7.7% in the 3rd quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 4,274 shares of the company’s stock valued at $251,000 after acquiring an additional 306 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Retirement Planning Group LLC boosted its stake in Kroger by 4.5% during the 3rd quarter. Retirement Planning Group LLC now owns 6,304 shares of the company’s stock valued at $370,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on KR. UBS Group set a $66.00 target price on Kroger and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $68.00 price target (up from $66.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday. Telsey Advisory Group dropped their price objective on Kroger from $78.00 to $75.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $60.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Roth Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $73.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, September 14th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $70.35.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger plans to invest approximately $5 billion through 2029 to lower prices, simplify promotions and strengthen its value proposition against Walmart and Costco. Management says the initiative will be funded partly by roughly $4 billion in savings, including productivity improvements and technology adoption. Kroger Is Spending $5 Billion to Cut Prices
• Positive Sentiment: The investor-day strategy also includes expanded e-commerce and digital capabilities, more streamlined operations and three refreshed store formats emphasizing fresh food and online fulfillment. These investments could improve customer traffic, productivity and competitive positioning over time. Five Big Numbers from Kroger’s Investor Day
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s plan to reduce corporate staffing through AI and other efficiencies could lower its cost base and help finance price reductions. Analysts continue to view the shares favorably, with the stock receiving a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating. Kroger Stock Rated Moderate Buy

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Kroger news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total transaction of $4,425,090.70. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 175,233 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,636,643.10. The trade was a 29.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.41% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of KR opened at $67.90 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $54.15 and a one year high of $76.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.83, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.31. The business has a fifty day moving average of $59.50 and a 200 day moving average of $61.40.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its earnings results on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $34.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.64 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 49.90% and a net margin of 0.73%. Kroger’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.04 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.19 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be given a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 84.78%.

Kroger Company Profile

The Kroger Co is a U.S. food and grocery retailer headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883, the company operates supermarkets under banners that include Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, King Soopers, Fry’s, Harris Teeter and Smith’s, among others.

Kroger’s business includes the sale of fresh food, groceries, general merchandise, household products and health and beauty items. Many of its stores also provide pharmacy services and fuel centers. The company offers digital shopping, pickup and delivery services, loyalty programs and a range of private-label products, including Simple Truth, Private Selection and Kroger-branded products.

Kroger primarily serves customers across the United States, with stores concentrated in the Midwest, South, West and parts of the Mid-Atlantic region.