Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Purchases 26,420 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA lifted its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 8.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 343,124 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 26,420 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA’s holdings in Kroger were worth $20,114,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the 2nd quarter valued at $3,016,956,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Kroger by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 12,296,026 shares of the company’s stock worth $889,878,000 after buying an additional 53,625 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in Kroger by 17.0% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,041,028 shares of the company’s stock worth $437,129,000 after buying an additional 876,168 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in Kroger in the 2nd quarter worth $284,501,000. Finally, Amundi increased its stake in Kroger by 18.3% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,942,230 shares of the company’s stock worth $218,912,000 after buying an additional 610,039 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

KR has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Melius Research set a $80.00 price target on Kroger and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $60.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Telsey Advisory Group cut their target price on Kroger from $78.00 to $75.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Finally, Roth Capital reissued a “buy” rating and set a $73.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $70.35.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total value of $4,425,090.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 175,233 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,636,643.10. This trade represents a 29.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Key Kroger News

These are some of the KR news items that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Coverage argues Kroger’s grocery “moat” remains a strength amid uncertainty around the Albertsons deal, supporting the case for its competitive resilience. Albertsons deal or no deal: Why Kroger’s grocery moat is winning
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks labeled Kroger a top-ranked value and long-term growth stock based on its Style Scores. These screen-based assessments may interest investors but do not establish a near-term business catalyst. Why Kroger (KR) is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term
• Negative Sentiment: Five Below, Dollar General and Ollie’s are identified as competitors creating challenges for traditional grocers, potentially adding pressure to Kroger’s customer traffic and pricing. Five Below and Dollar General challenge Kroger, Publix

Kroger Price Performance

KR stock opened at $69.49 on Thursday. The Kroger Co. has a 52 week low of $54.15 and a 52 week high of $76.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $62.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $63.81. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its earnings results on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.04. Kroger had a net margin of 0.73% and a return on equity of 49.90%. The firm had revenue of $34.62 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.04 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.20 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be given a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 84.78%.

Kroger Company Profile

The Kroger Co. is a U.S. grocery retailer founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1883 by Bernard Kroger. It operates supermarkets and other grocery formats across the United States under banners including Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, King Soopers, and Smith’s. Alongside groceries and household essentials, Kroger stores offer services such as pharmacies and fuel centers. The company also sells products under its own private-label brands and produces many of those items through its food manufacturing operations.