Applied Finance Capital Management LLC Acquires Shares of 15,941 The Kroger Co. $KR

Applied Finance Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm purchased 15,941 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $996,000.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. WPG Advisers LLC grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 16.8% in the third quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 1,160 shares of the company’s stock valued at $78,000 after buying an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas increased its position in Kroger by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas now owns 18,846 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,270,000 after acquiring an additional 173 shares during the period. HUB Investment Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Kroger by 3.0% during the 2nd quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 6,568 shares of the company’s stock valued at $471,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares during the period. Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI now owns 15,756 shares of the company’s stock worth $984,000 after acquiring an additional 195 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 17.4% in the third quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 1,328 shares of the company’s stock worth $90,000 after buying an additional 197 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Erste Group Bank lowered Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 price target (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, March 6th. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $82.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Kroger currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $74.56.

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Harris Teeter, a Kroger banner, launched a week-long customer appreciation sale with daily deals and 4x fuel points, which could support traffic and sales at the grocery chain. Harris Teeter Offers VIC Card Members Daily Deals, 4x Fuel Points During Week-Long Customer Appreciation Sale May 13-19
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles highlighted the Kroger Queen City Championship and local golfers, keeping the company’s brand visible in a community event that can reinforce customer engagement. Xavier University golfers bring hometown buzz to Kroger Queen City Championship
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s recent share-price softness may be attracting value-focused investors who see potential upside after a multi-month pullback. Is Kroger (KR) Offering Opportunity After Recent Share Price Softness?

Kroger Price Performance

KR stock opened at $66.08 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $69.99 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $66.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The Kroger Co. has a 52 week low of $58.60 and a 52 week high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a net margin of 0.69% and a return on equity of 41.08%. The firm had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.10 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.14 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 91.50%.

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.