Marietta Investment Partners LLC Has $7.47 Million Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Marietta Investment Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 9.6% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 110,769 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 9,664 shares during the period. Kroger accounts for 1.4% of Marietta Investment Partners LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 21st largest position. Marietta Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $7,467,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Avalon Trust Co acquired a new position in Kroger in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC grew its stake in Kroger by 87.8% during the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 445 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 208 shares during the last quarter. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the second quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 100.0% in the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 490 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 245 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Kroger Trading Up 5.3%

KR opened at $71.61 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $65.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $65.89. The firm has a market cap of $45.32 billion, a PE ratio of 66.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.62. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $58.60 and a twelve month high of $74.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.88.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a net margin of 0.54% and a return on equity of 38.06%. The business had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.10 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.14 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 129.63%.

Trending Headlines about Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 profit beat and margin strength — Kroger reported adjusted EPS above expectations and improved operating margins driven by sourcing gains; management also flagged 20% e‑commerce growth, which helped the beat. Kroger Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: New CEO sets a value play — Greg Foran’s first public comments emphasize lower in‑store prices, better deals, faster e‑commerce and AI to drive sales and market share; investors are treating this as a credible operational reset. New Kroger CEO Greg Foran outlines top priorities
• Positive Sentiment: Expanded capital returns — the board approved an extra $2B repurchase authorization (on top of recent ASR activity), supporting EPS leverage and signaling shareholder-friendly management. Kroger Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — Telsey raised its price target and the consensus analyst sentiment sits around “Moderate Buy,” which helps underpin the rally. Benzinga: Telsey raises price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Cautious FY26 outlook — Kroger set FY26 adjusted EPS guidance slightly above consensus ( $5.10–$5.30 ) but gave conservative sales guidance; investors view guidance as balanced — supportive on EPS but cautious on top‑line growth. MarketWatch: Guidance and sales misses
• Neutral Sentiment: E‑commerce strategic review — management says the e‑commerce review should deliver ~ $400M of operating profit improvement in 2026, a positive structural step but one that will take time to fully materialize. PR Newswire: eCommerce review
• Negative Sentiment: Product recall risk — frozen food recall (Ajinomoto product sold at Kroger/Trader Joe’s in Illinois) for glass contamination poses a reputational and potential short‑term cost issue. IndyStar: Ajinomoto recall
• Negative Sentiment: Operational cuts and closures — Kroger is closing Little Clinic locations and has shuttered underperforming stores/laid-off staff in some markets; these actions reduce costs but also signal restructuring headwinds. Yahoo: Kroger closing Little Clinic locations
• Negative Sentiment: Labor and legal risks — union tensions and class‑action suits over e‑commerce worker classification create ongoing downside risk and potential litigation costs. GroceryDive: e‑commerce lawsuits

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on KR shares. Barclays reissued a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 target price for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 5th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $70.00 price target (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.19.

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.