The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Sold by Pitcairn Co.

Pitcairn Co. cut its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 61.4% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 18,970 shares of the company’s stock after selling 30,210 shares during the quarter. Pitcairn Co.’s holdings in Kroger were worth $1,279,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Bank of Nova Scotia increased its position in shares of Kroger by 102.5% during the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 168,395 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,079,000 after purchasing an additional 85,223 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in Kroger by 43.4% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 72,244 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,870,000 after purchasing an additional 21,876 shares during the last quarter. Liberty One Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in Kroger by 85.0% in the third quarter. Liberty One Investment Management LLC now owns 857,667 shares of the company’s stock valued at $57,828,000 after acquiring an additional 394,060 shares during the last quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 401.3% during the 3rd quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd now owns 19,470 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,293,000 after purchasing an additional 15,586 shares during the period. Finally, Money Concepts Capital Corp boosted its stake in Kroger by 64.7% during the third quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 45,267 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,051,000 after buying an additional 17,777 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $74.31 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $58.60 and a 12 month high of $74.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.45. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $65.35 and its 200-day simple moving average is $65.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.62.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.10 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The business’s revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.14 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 129.63%.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat on profit and margins: Kroger reported adjusted EPS above estimates, delivered gross‑margin expansion and 20% e‑commerce growth; management also rolled out FY‑26 adjusted EPS guidance above consensus and approved further buybacks — a clear catalyst for earnings per‑share growth. PR Newswire
• Positive Sentiment: Large, sustained capital returns: Management completed accelerated repurchases in 2025 and the board approved an additional $2B repurchase authorization on top of a $7.5B program; analysts and commentators say buybacks plus a growing dividend underpin long‑term per‑share upside. MarketBeat
• Positive Sentiment: Street support and upgrades: Several shops have reiterated/raised ratings and price targets (e.g., Roth MKM reaffirmed buy with a $78 PT; Telsey lifted its target), reinforcing positive sentiment into the print. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual bullish options flow: Call buying spiked (large single‑day activity), suggesting some traders are positioning for additional upside or event‑driven moves.
• Neutral Sentiment: New CEO’s playbook: Greg Foran is pushing lower prices, sharper promotions, AI and e‑commerce improvements to accelerate sales — a credible strategic pivot but execution and timing remain uncertain. FoodBusinessNews
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst consensus is broadly constructive (moderate buy), but median price targets leave limited near‑term upside absent stronger top‑line revisions. AmericanBankingNews
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue and sales outlook are muted: Q4 revenue slightly missed estimates and management offered modest identical‑sales guidance for 2026 (1–2% ex‑fuel), tempering a rally based solely on EPS strength. Retail Insight Network
• Negative Sentiment: Product recalls: Kroger‑branded and partner rice/frozen products were included in a glass‑fragment recall, creating short‑term inventory, sales and reputational headwinds in affected markets. MSN
• Negative Sentiment: Labor and legal exposure: Class‑action suits over e‑commerce worker classification and heightened union friction (Teamsters commentary) add regulatory/legal risk and potential costs. GroceryDive
• Negative Sentiment: Dividend sustainability question: Commentary flagged a high payout ratio on a GAAP basis (dividend > GAAP net income), which could worry income investors despite strong cash flow and buybacks. 24/7 Wall St.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on KR. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $82.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $70.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday. Barclays reaffirmed a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Evercore set a $77.00 target price on Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.38.

Kroger Company 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.