Kroger (NYSE:KR) Cut to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen cut shares of Kroger (NYSE:KR) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Sunday morning,Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on KR. Telsey Advisory Group dropped their target price on shares of Kroger from $78.00 to $75.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Roth Capital restated a “buy” rating and issued a $73.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, September 14th. Melius Research set a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $57.00 price objective (down from $61.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $68.00 price objective (up from $66.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $70.35.

Kroger Price Performance

KR stock opened at $66.77 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $39.43 billion, a PE ratio of 13.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $61.00 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $63.65. Kroger has a 12-month low of $54.15 and a 12-month high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 the consensus estimate of $34.64 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 49.90% and a net margin of 0.73%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.04 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Kroger will post 5.20 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 18th. The stock was 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kroger

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at $3,016,956,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth about $284,501,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth about $195,234,000. Nykredit A S acquired a new stake in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth about $157,533,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new stake in Kroger during the second quarter valued at about $119,723,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

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.