Strs Ohio Sells 51,237 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Strs Ohio lowered its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 14.0% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 315,489 shares of the company’s stock after selling 51,237 shares during the period. Strs Ohio’s holdings in Kroger were worth $22,829,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new stake in Kroger in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Kroger by 268.1% during the 4th quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 303 shares in the last quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s Giant Eagle purchase could expand its presence in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, adding about 197 stores and roughly $9 billion in annual revenue while strengthening scale and market share. The Kroger Co. set to purchase Giant Eagle Inc.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have described the deal as margin-stable and potentially EPS-accretive, and Guggenheim reaffirmed a buy rating with a $71 price target, signaling confidence in Kroger’s expansion strategy. Kroger’s $1.65bn Giant Eagle Deal Seen as Margin‑Stable, EPS‑Accretive Growth Catalyst Supporting Buy Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: The acquisition is expected to close in 2027 and still needs regulatory approval, so execution risk remains a factor even though the deal appears smaller and less complex than the blocked Albertsons transaction. Kroger Thinks Smaller With $1.65B Giant Eagle Buy After Albertsons Merger Fizzled
• Neutral Sentiment: New coverage also highlighted Kroger’s ongoing focus on retail media, e-commerce, and broader omnichannel growth, which supports the long-term investment case but does not by itself change near-term fundamentals. 2 Supermarket Stocks Set to Thrive Despite Industry Headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Some investor reaction is cautious because the grocery sector remains competitive and consolidation deals can bring regulatory, financial, and integration risks, especially after Kroger’s prior merger attempt failed. Kroger just shook up the supermarket landscape

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently commented on KR. Citigroup decreased their price target on Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $80.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Erste Group Bank lowered Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 target price on Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 price target (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, March 6th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $71.94.

Kroger Price Performance

KR opened at $58.12 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $63.32 and a 200-day moving average price of $65.85. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $54.15 and a twelve month high of $76.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. The company has a market capitalization of $35.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.19, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.44.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The business had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $45.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.49 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. Equities analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. This is an increase from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is 82.35%.

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.