The Kroger Co. $KR Stake Raised by Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 7.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 523,922 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 34,656 shares during the quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $32,346,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. WESPAC Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 1.2% in the third quarter. WESPAC Advisors LLC now owns 13,585 shares of the company’s stock worth $916,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. WPG Advisers LLC raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 16.8% during the third quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 1,160 shares of the company’s stock valued at $78,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas lifted its holdings in Kroger by 0.9% in the third quarter. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas now owns 18,846 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,270,000 after purchasing an additional 173 shares during the period. Perigon Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Kroger by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,869 shares of the company’s stock valued at $665,000 after buying an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MRP Capital Investments LLC grew its position in Kroger by 24.1% in the 2nd quarter. MRP Capital Investments LLC now owns 900 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,000 after buying an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $72.70 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.52, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.62. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $58.60 and a 1-year high of $76.58. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $68.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $66.23.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.10 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.14 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 91.50%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on KR shares. Roth Mkm restated a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 price target (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, March 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $70.00 price target (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.56.

Kroger Profile

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.