Corient Private Wealth LP Takes Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Corient Private Wealth LP acquired a new position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 309,629 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,194,000.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Kroger during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger in the first quarter worth $27,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new stake in Kroger in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Kroger in the third quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Kroger in the first quarter valued at $31,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on KR. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $71.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $72.00.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $57.73 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a fifty-two week low of $54.15 and a fifty-two week high of $76.58. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $57.63 and its 200 day simple moving average is $64.45. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. The stock has a market cap of $35.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.96, a P/E/G ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.43.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its 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). The company had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.49 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. Equities analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

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

Trending Headlines about Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger announced its 2026 Wellness Tour, with September in-store and community events intended to increase customer engagement and reinforce the company’s health-and-wellness offerings. The initiative is strategically positive, though its near-term financial impact is likely limited. Kroger Wellness Tour announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity, with purchases more than double the typical daily volume, suggests increased bullish speculative interest. However, options activity does not guarantee sustained buying in the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Murray’s Cheese, a Kroger brand, expanded its premium cave-aged collection to select Harris Teeter stores in Charlotte. The launch supports product differentiation and potentially higher-margin sales but is unlikely to materially affect companywide results. Murray’s Cheese Harris Teeter launch
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s recent earnings showed revenue growth and earnings ahead of the prior-year period, but earnings per share narrowly missed estimates. Management’s fiscal-year EPS guidance remains a key factor for investors assessing whether the current valuation is justified.
• Negative Sentiment: Industry data indicated Kroger’s foot traffic declined in July as the broader supermarket sector also struggled. Persistent traffic weakness could pressure comparable sales and raise concerns about consumer demand. Kroger July foot traffic report
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger agreed to pay $17 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging prescription-drug pricing practices. The cash cost is manageable relative to Kroger’s size, but the settlement adds legal expense and reputational risk. Kroger prescription pricing settlement
• Negative Sentiment: Sony Music sued Kroger over alleged unauthorized use of songs in social-media advertising, creating another potential legal liability. The financial impact is uncertain, but the lawsuit adds to investor concerns following the pharmacy settlement. Sony Music lawsuit against Kroger

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.