Traders Buy Large Volume of Kroger Call Options (NYSE:KR)

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Traders bought 37,928 call options on the company. This is an increase of 150% compared to the typical daily volume of 15,193 call options.

Kroger Stock Performance

KR traded down $0.58 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $58.90. 2,080,350 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,999,399. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $58.18 and a 200-day simple moving average of $62.53. Kroger has a 12 month low of $54.15 and a 12 month high of $76.58. The stock has a market cap of $34.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.31.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its earnings results on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $34.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.64 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.04 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Kroger will post 5.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is 84.78%.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Digital growth remains a bright spot. Kroger’s e-commerce sales are growing about 20%, while improving digital profitability could help offset slower physical-store sales and support the company’s earnings mix. Can Kroger’s Digital Growth Offset Its Softer Fiscal 2026 Sales View?
• Positive Sentiment: New loyalty and payment initiatives could improve customer retention. The Kroger Rewards World Elite Mastercard is designed to increase grocery and fuel savings, potentially encouraging repeat purchases and expanding customer data opportunities. Kroger Introduces Kroger Rewards World Elite Mastercard
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is investing in its store base. A $2 million Royal Lakes Marketplace renovation, a new Delaware, Ohio, store, and a pilot of 24-hour operations at six Ohio and Indiana locations could help improve traffic and recapture customers from rivals. Kroger Tests 24-Hour Stores in Ohio and Indiana
• Neutral Sentiment: Customer-experience efforts are continuing. Kroger is introducing updated employee uniforms and a new dress-code policy, but the direct financial impact is unlikely to be material in the near term. Kroger Updates In-Store Employees’ Look With New Uniforms
• Negative Sentiment: Slower comparable sales are the key overhang. Analysts describe a cautious consumer, pharmacy-related headwinds and rising costs as risks to fiscal 2026 revenue growth, even though earnings resilience and cost controls remain supportive. Is Kroger Stock a Buy as Value Meets Slower Comparable-Sales Growth?
• Negative Sentiment: Higher prices remain a reputational and demand risk. Protests over Kroger’s cage-free egg pricing highlight customer sensitivity to inflation and the possibility that shoppers may trade down or switch to competitors. Protests of Kroger’s Cage-Free Eggs

Insider Buying and Selling at Kroger

In related news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total transaction of $4,425,090.70. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 175,233 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,636,643.10. This trade represents a 29.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kroger

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in KR. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Kroger in the first quarter valued at $27,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth about $31,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 1st quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Reflection Asset Management bought a new stake in Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at about $40,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on KR. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Citigroup restated 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. Melius Research set a $80.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $69.69.

About Kroger

The Kroger Co is a U.S.-based food and consumer goods retailer headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, the company has grown into one of the largest supermarket operators in the United States.

Kroger operates supermarkets, multi-department stores, marketplace-format stores, pharmacies and fuel centers. Its stores sell groceries, fresh produce, meat, seafood, bakery and deli products, household essentials, health and beauty items, and general merchandise. The company also offers digital shopping, pickup and delivery services, loyalty programs, and a range of private-label products.

The company serves customers across numerous U.S.