The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Acquired by Vinva Investment Management Ltd

Vinva Investment Management Ltd boosted its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 16.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 69,070 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 9,764 shares during the quarter. Vinva Investment Management Ltd’s holdings in Kroger were worth $4,588,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 27.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,733 shares of the company’s stock valued at $962,000 after buying an additional 3,373 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP raised its stake in Kroger by 40.7% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 56,243 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,807,000 after acquiring an additional 16,270 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Kroger in the second quarter worth about $201,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new position in Kroger in the second quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Savant Capital LLC boosted its stake in Kroger by 8.6% in the second quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 29,503 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,116,000 after acquiring an additional 2,341 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat on profit and margins: Kroger reported adjusted EPS above estimates, delivered gross‑margin expansion and 20% e‑commerce growth; management also rolled out FY‑26 adjusted EPS guidance above consensus and approved further buybacks — a clear catalyst for earnings per‑share growth. PR Newswire
• Positive Sentiment: Large, sustained capital returns: Management completed accelerated repurchases in 2025 and the board approved an additional $2B repurchase authorization on top of a $7.5B program; analysts and commentators say buybacks plus a growing dividend underpin long‑term per‑share upside. MarketBeat
• Positive Sentiment: Street support and upgrades: Several shops have reiterated/raised ratings and price targets (e.g., Roth MKM reaffirmed buy with a $78 PT; Telsey lifted its target), reinforcing positive sentiment into the print. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual bullish options flow: Call buying spiked (large single‑day activity), suggesting some traders are positioning for additional upside or event‑driven moves.
• Neutral Sentiment: New CEO’s playbook: Greg Foran is pushing lower prices, sharper promotions, AI and e‑commerce improvements to accelerate sales — a credible strategic pivot but execution and timing remain uncertain. FoodBusinessNews
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst consensus is broadly constructive (moderate buy), but median price targets leave limited near‑term upside absent stronger top‑line revisions. AmericanBankingNews
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue and sales outlook are muted: Q4 revenue slightly missed estimates and management offered modest identical‑sales guidance for 2026 (1–2% ex‑fuel), tempering a rally based solely on EPS strength. Retail Insight Network
• Negative Sentiment: Product recalls: Kroger‑branded and partner rice/frozen products were included in a glass‑fragment recall, creating short‑term inventory, sales and reputational headwinds in affected markets. MSN
• Negative Sentiment: Labor and legal exposure: Class‑action suits over e‑commerce worker classification and heightened union friction (Teamsters commentary) add regulatory/legal risk and potential costs. GroceryDive
• Negative Sentiment: Dividend sustainability question: Commentary flagged a high payout ratio on a GAAP basis (dividend > GAAP net income), which could worry income investors despite strong cash flow and buybacks. 24/7 Wall St.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on KR shares. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $75.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $70.00 price target (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $68.00 price objective (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.38.

Kroger Trading Up 3.8%

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $74.31 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $65.35 and a 200-day moving average of $65.85. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The firm has a market cap of $47.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.89 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.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted 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 0.69% and a return on equity of 41.08%. The business had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.14 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. Kroger’s payout ratio is currently 91.50%.

Kroger Company 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.