186,351 Shares in The Kroger Co. $KR Acquired by Milestone Asset Management LLC

Milestone Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 186,351 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,924,000. Kroger comprises approximately 1.7% of Milestone Asset Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest position.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the second quarter worth approximately $3,016,956,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Kroger by 0.4% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 12,296,026 shares of the company’s stock worth $889,878,000 after buying an additional 53,625 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in shares of Kroger by 17.0% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,041,028 shares of the company’s stock worth $437,129,000 after buying an additional 876,168 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in Kroger during the 2nd quarter valued at $284,501,000. Finally, Amundi raised its holdings in Kroger by 18.3% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,942,230 shares of the company’s stock valued at $218,912,000 after buying an additional 610,039 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Kroger

In other news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 18th. The shares were 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 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 SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s planned elimination of approximately 3,000 corporate positions over three years is intended to reduce expenses, fund lower prices and support investments in AI, pharmacy margins, e-commerce and retail media. Investors could view the restructuring as a potential profitability catalyst if savings are reinvested effectively. Kroger AI efficiency push and corporate job cuts
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger continues to hold a leading position in the Central Ohio grocery market, supporting the investment case that its scale and customer base can defend sales against Aldi and other discount competitors. Kroger Central Ohio grocery market leadership
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts describe KR as undervalued, citing cost reductions and the potential for an operational turnaround. Its latest quarterly results also exceeded EPS expectations, while full-year guidance was maintained. Kroger valuation and turnaround analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s October 20 investor day could provide additional detail on AI savings, pricing strategy, capital allocation and the company’s longer-term turnaround plan.
• Negative Sentiment: Albertsons is seeking more than $8 billion in damages related to the failed merger, creating potentially significant legal and financial uncertainty for Kroger. Albertsons lawsuit against Kroger
• Negative Sentiment: Other coverage warns that slowing sales and a premium earnings multiple may limit upside, particularly if cost savings do not translate into stronger customer traffic or margins. Kroger slowing sales and valuation concerns
• Negative Sentiment: The scale of the layoffs raises execution and morale risks, while recent institutional selling and insider sales add another cautious signal for investors.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of KR stock opened at $62.66 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 0.70. The Kroger Co. has a fifty-two week low of $54.15 and a fifty-two week high of $76.58. The firm has a market cap of $37.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.36. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $58.72 and its 200-day moving average price is $61.68.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.64 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 49.90% and a net margin of 0.73%. The firm’s revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.04 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be issued a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is 84.78%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KR has been the subject of several analyst reports. Evercore set a $70.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, September 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $82.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, June 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $68.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, September 14th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $69.82.

Kroger Profile

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.