The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Sold by Sterling Capital Management LLC

Sterling Capital Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 45.5% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 19,621 shares of the company’s stock after selling 16,402 shares during the period. Sterling Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $1,420,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. River Street Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger during the first quarter worth about $271,000. Corecam AG purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the first quarter valued at approximately $272,000. J2 Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 3.1% in the first quarter. J2 Capital Management Inc now owns 9,824 shares of the company’s stock valued at $711,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares during the period. Generali Investments Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 8.3% in the first quarter. Generali Investments Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych now owns 6,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $470,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Foster & Motley Inc. increased its stake in Kroger by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 229,772 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,626,000 after buying an additional 5,007 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is expanding its rewards program, giving shoppers new ways to redeem points for groceries and fuel. That could help boost customer loyalty, repeat visits, and basket sizes. Kroger Revamps Rewards Program: New Ways to Use Points for Groceries and Fuel
• Positive Sentiment: The company is also rolling out an exclusive celebrity product line and additional seasonal/holiday promotions, suggesting Kroger is trying to drive traffic and differentiate its stores beyond basic grocery price competition. Kroger rolls out exclusive celebrity line to win back shoppers
• Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage highlighted Kroger’s digital coupons and holiday merchandising, which reinforces its focus on value but does not materially change the near-term outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Fresh price-target cuts are adding caution: Morgan Stanley recently kept an Equal Weight rating but lowered its target to $67 from $73, signaling more limited upside than before. Is The Kroger Co. (KR) One of the Best Stocks to Buy Now For Good Returns amid Price Target Cuts?
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger also faces an ongoing product recall warning involving chicken sold at Kroger and Fred Meyer that may contain an undeclared allergen, which can create reputational risk and a small headwind for sentiment. Check Your Freezer: Kroger and Fred Meyer Chicken May Contain Undeclared Allergen

Kroger Stock Down 3.0%

KR stock opened at $55.99 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $34.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.94, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $55.60 and a twelve month high of $76.58. The company’s 50 day moving average is $64.22 and its two-hundred day moving average is $66.03.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.49 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. Research analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a $0.39 dividend. This is a boost from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Kroger’s payout ratio is currently 91.76%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on KR. Barclays set a $61.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Weiss Ratings lowered Kroger from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Guggenheim set a $71.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 target price on Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $70.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $71.94.

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.