LSV Asset Management Sells 91,835 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

LSV Asset Management lowered its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 1.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 6,797,438 shares of the company’s stock after selling 91,835 shares during the period. Kroger makes up approximately 0.9% of LSV Asset Management’s holdings, making the stock its 17th biggest position. LSV Asset Management’s holdings in Kroger were worth $424,704,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Kroger by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,169,425 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,821,546,000 after acquiring an additional 868,529 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in Kroger by 61.1% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 33,367,551 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,249,307,000 after acquiring an additional 12,652,261 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Kroger by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 31,948,112 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,153,622,000 after acquiring an additional 386,503 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in Kroger by 15.8% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 6,327,182 shares of the company’s stock valued at $426,515,000 after acquiring an additional 865,559 shares during the period. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH lifted its stake in shares of Kroger by 66.6% in the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 5,255,084 shares of the company’s stock worth $354,245,000 after purchasing an additional 2,100,444 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger announced it will host its first-quarter 2026 earnings conference call on June 18, which keeps investors focused on upcoming results and any updates on pricing strategy and margins. Kroger Announces First Quarter Conference Call with Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is also being viewed as a beneficiary of consumer trade-down trends as shoppers face higher gas prices, which could support traffic if its lower-price strategy resonates with value-focused households. Rising Gas Prices Are Hitting Household Budgets. Some Grocery Stores Are Eyeing Price Cuts In Response.
• Neutral Sentiment: Valerie Jabbar, senior vice president of Retail Divisions, retired after 38 years with Kroger; the move is a leadership update but does not appear to be a major stock driver on its own. Kroger Senior Vice President Valerie Jabbar Announces Retirement After 38 Years of Service
• Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage that Kroger is preparing price cuts and facing stiff competition from Walmart, Costco and Aldi reinforces the same story: stronger traffic potential, but likely margin pressure if discounts deepen. Kroger plans price cuts as new CEO looks to regain shoppers
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are likely concerned that a nationwide price-cut strategy could reduce profitability in the near term, especially if Kroger has to absorb higher costs while lowering shelf prices. Why Kroger Stock Dropped Today
• Negative Sentiment: Recent recall headlines involving Kroger-branded garlic cheese croutons and a separate Clean Air Act settlement may add modest reputational and legal overhang, though these look secondary to the pricing narrative. Kroger garlic cheese croutons sold in 17 states recalled for salmonella risk

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on KR shares. Barclays reiterated a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 price objective (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Kroger presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $74.87.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $67.32 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $69.56 and its 200-day moving average price is $66.73. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $58.60 and a twelve month high of $76.58. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $41.24 billion, a PE ratio of 44.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.46.

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

Kroger Announces Dividend

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. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 91.50%.

Kroger Company 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.