The Kroger Co. $KR Stock Purchased by Soltis Investment Advisors LLC

Soltis Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 835.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 44,103 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 39,390 shares during the period. Soltis Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $2,585,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. North Point Portfolio Managers Corp OH bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at $31,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, GK Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger in the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KR has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $68.00 price target (up from $66.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Wells Fargo & Company set a $60.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, September 14th. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded shares of Kroger from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $72.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 24th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $70.35.

Kroger Stock Performance

NYSE KR opened at $66.73 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $54.15 and a 1 year high of $76.58. 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 firm has a market cap of $39.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.27, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $60.63 and a 200-day moving average price of $63.59.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its earnings results on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.04. Kroger had a net margin of 0.73% and a return on equity of 49.90%. The company had revenue of $34.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.64 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.04 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.20 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be given a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 16th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 84.78%.

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger plans to invest approximately $5 billion through 2029 to lower everyday prices and simplify promotions. Management also expects e-commerce to eventually represent about 30% of sales, potentially strengthening customer traffic and digital growth. Kroger Says It Will Spend $5 Billion Through 2029 Lowering Prices
• Positive Sentiment: The company is accelerating direct sourcing to improve cost visibility and control, which could support margins over time despite the near-term expense of lower prices. Kroger Accelerates Direct Sourcing Efforts
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity indicates increased bullish speculative interest: 36,862 calls traded, compared with typical volume of about 15,056. This is a sentiment indicator rather than a change to Kroger’s fundamentals.
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger agreed to acquire Giant Eagle in a proposed $1.65 billion cash-and-stock transaction. Combining loyalty programs, pharmacy records and digital platforms could create data and operating synergies, but privacy concerns surrounding purchasing, behavioral and location data may increase regulatory and reputational risk. Kroger Just Put $1.65 Billion Behind a Data Privacy Test
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger and Albertsons are concluding witness testimony in Delaware litigation over their failed merger. The case could result in additional costs or damages and keeps scrutiny on Kroger’s prior consolidation strategy. Albertsons and Kroger Fighting in Court Over Failed Merger
• Negative Sentiment: Albertsons is promoting a lower-cost annual membership program, potentially intensifying competition for value-conscious grocery shoppers alongside Walmart and Amazon. Albertsons Has a New Advantage for Grocery Shoppers

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Kroger news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total value of $4,425,090.70. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 175,233 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,636,643.10. This trade represents a 29.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Kroger 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.