LSV Asset Management Decreases Stock Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

LSV Asset Management trimmed its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,889,273 shares of the company’s stock after selling 113,102 shares during the quarter. Kroger makes up approximately 1.0% of LSV Asset Management’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest position. LSV Asset Management’s holdings in Kroger were worth $464,406,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cibc World Market Inc. boosted its position in Kroger by 1,172.5% during the third quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 211,777 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,276,000 after acquiring an additional 195,135 shares during the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger in the 3rd quarter valued at about $5,531,000. ING Groep NV purchased a new position in Kroger in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,998,000. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 1,387,962 shares of the company’s stock worth $93,562,000 after purchasing an additional 5,118 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. grew its position in shares of Kroger by 69.4% in the third quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 31,824 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,145,000 after purchasing an additional 13,041 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of KR stock opened at $68.72 on Thursday. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $58.60 and a 1-year high of $74.90. The firm has a market cap of $43.49 billion, a PE ratio of 63.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a 50-day moving average of $63.14 and a two-hundred day moving average of $66.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.45.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $33.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.27 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.54% and a return on equity of 38.06%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.98 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. On average, analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 129.63%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on KR shares. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $80.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Evercore set a $77.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Kroger currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $74.07.

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Appointment of Greg Foran as CEO — Foran (ex‑Walmart U.S., Air New Zealand) is viewed as an operator who can improve store execution and margins; markets reacted positively to the hire. Kroger names Greg Foran as CEO
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/market backing — Firms and analysts have reacted favorably (buy ratings, reiterated outperform calls and raised targets), reinforcing the rally and investor confidence in re-rating potential. Telsey Advisory Group Reiterates Outperform Rating for Kroger
• Positive Sentiment: Operational pivot and cost saves highlighted by coverage — Coverage notes Kroger is shifting from failed large-scale automation to a store-based/hybrid fulfillment model expected to materially improve e‑commerce profitability (cited ~$400M improvement in 2026 scenarios). New Kroger CEO expected to stress the fundamentals
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns remain a focus — Recent buybacks and the company’s dividend profile (ex‑dividend timing is a near-term calendar item) support income-oriented investors. Does a New CEO Make This Time-Tested Dividend Stock a Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Local PR and promotions — Routine consumer promotions (e.g., Valentine’s Day surf-and-turf offers) and a reopened store at Worthington Mall are operationally neutral but help traffic. Skip the Reservation: Kroger Makes Valentine’s Day Special
• Negative Sentiment: Store rationalization — Kroger plans to close two Houston‑area stores in April (after several closures in 2025), a sign of continued footprint pruning that can reduce revenue and indicate underperforming markets. Kroger to close 2 more Houston-area locations after shuttering 5 stores in 2025
• Negative Sentiment: Legacy charges and execution risk — The company still carries the impact of past non‑cash impairments tied to automated fulfillment centers; investors must see consistent margin improvement to justify multiple expansion. Meet the serial CEO taking over Kroger

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.