Westpac Banking Corp Acquires 19,804 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Westpac Banking Corp grew its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 55.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 55,471 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 19,804 shares during the period. Westpac Banking Corp’s holdings in Kroger were worth $4,014,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in KR. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. increased its position in Kroger by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. now owns 3,537 shares of the company’s stock valued at $221,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the period. PFG Investments LLC lifted its position in shares of Kroger by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 4,899 shares of the company’s stock worth $354,000 after purchasing an additional 157 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Kroger by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 10,747 shares of the company’s stock worth $674,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 17,995 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,124,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Phillips Wealth Planners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC now owns 5,348 shares of the company’s stock valued at $342,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Stock Down 0.9%

NYSE:KR opened at $57.81 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.39. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $61.43 and its 200-day moving average price is $65.54. The company has a market capitalization of $35.42 billion, a PE ratio of 34.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.44. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $54.15 and a 1-year high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The business had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $45.59 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.49 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This is a positive change from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 91.76%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Erste Group Bank cut shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 price objective on Kroger in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 20th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $72.00.

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.