63,932 Shares in The Kroger Co. $KR Purchased by Westfield Capital Management Co. LP

Westfield Capital Management Co. LP purchased a new stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 63,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,310,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in KR. Bank of Nova Scotia grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 102.5% in the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 168,395 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,079,000 after acquiring an additional 85,223 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC grew its position in shares of Kroger by 43.4% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 72,244 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,870,000 after purchasing an additional 21,876 shares in the last quarter. AdvisorShares Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the second quarter worth approximately $480,000. Liberty One Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 394,060 shares during the period. Finally, Mediolanum International Funds Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 401.3% in the third quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd now owns 19,470 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,293,000 after buying an additional 15,586 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Trading Down 0.7%

KR opened at $67.14 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $42.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 62.17, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28. The company’s 50 day moving average is $64.48 and its 200-day moving average is $65.97. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $58.60 and a 1-year high of $74.90.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $33.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.27 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.54% and a return on equity of 38.06%. The firm’s revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.98 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 129.63%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, February 9th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $68.00 price objective (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Barclays reaffirmed a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, February 9th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $73.93.

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger hired a former Walmart U.S. executive as its new CEO, which investors may view as a governance/operational positive given his scale and grocery experience. The Supply Side: Former Walmart U.S. boss hired as Kroger CEO
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger rolled out savings programs for GLP‑1 medications at its pharmacies — a potential traffic and margin opportunity in health/pharmacy services. Kroger Offers Savings Programs For GLP-1 Medications
• Positive Sentiment: MPearlRock (a Kroger/84.51° partner) added three operating advisors to boost value creation for portfolio brands — could support future non‑store growth and margins. MPearlRock Announces Addition of Three Distinguished Operating Advisors
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s recent quarterly results showed a slight EPS beat but revenue miss; FY‑2025 guidance was reiterated at $4.75–$4.80 EPS — investors will watch execution against that outlook. Kroger company info and recent results
• Neutral Sentiment: Ocado told investors it remains confident about U.S. prospects even after Kroger closed some robotic distribution centers last year — signals industry recalibration but not a direct hit to Kroger’s core retail earnings. Ocado upbeat on US prospects despite Kroger setback
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo downgraded Kroger from Overweight to Equal Weight and cut its price target to $68, citing caution on spending and growth — a direct catalyst for near‑term selling pressure. Wells Fargo Downgrades Kroger to Equal Weight
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger continues to close stores under brands like Fred Meyer and QFC, which can weigh on sales and amplify concerns about footprint optimization and restructuring costs. Fred Meyer, QFC parent company Kroger continues store closures

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.