The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Sells 43,702 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company cut its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 12.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 305,422 shares of the company’s stock after selling 43,702 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company’s holdings in Kroger were worth $22,100,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in KR. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. boosted its stake in Kroger by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. now owns 3,537 shares of the company’s stock valued at $221,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the period. PFG Investments LLC increased its position in Kroger by 3.3% during the 1st quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 4,899 shares of the company’s stock worth $354,000 after buying an additional 157 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 10,747 shares of the company’s stock worth $674,000 after buying an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Stephens Inc. AR boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 17,995 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,124,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares during the period. Finally, Phillips Wealth Planners LLC grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 3.6% in the fourth quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC now owns 5,348 shares of the company’s stock valued at $342,000 after acquiring an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger could improve its national grocery-market ranking following its planned Giant Eagle acquisition, potentially expanding scale and market share. Kroger poised to rise in national grocery market share rankings
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion remains a longer-term growth catalyst, with a $40 million Little Elm, Texas, store and approval for a new location in Dunwoody, Georgia. Kroger spends $40 million on new Little Elm store
• Positive Sentiment: A grocery-price study ranking Kroger ahead of Walmart, Aldi and Albertsons may support its value-focused positioning and customer retention. Kroger tops Walmart, Aldi and Albertsons in grocery price study
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusual options activity has drawn attention and may signal a larger upcoming move in KR, but the available report does not establish whether traders are positioned for a rise or decline. Is the Options Market Predicting a Spike in Kroger Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger launched an AI meal-planning assistant, which could improve digital engagement, personalization and loyalty, though financial benefits are still unproven. Kroger Debuts AI Shopping Assistant for Meal Planning
• Negative Sentiment: A settled lawsuit involving a worker’s suicide adds reputational and potential legal-cost concerns, although settlement terms were not disclosed. Kroger settles lawsuit over worker suicide
• Negative Sentiment: Store closures in Michigan will eliminate 68 jobs and could highlight weaker locations or ongoing efforts to optimize the store base. Kroger store closure to affect 68 jobs
• Negative Sentiment: Consumer complaints alleging pricing discrepancies create regulatory and trust risks, particularly for a company competing on value. Consumer group claims Kroger has pricing discrepancies

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have issued reports on KR shares. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Erste Group Bank downgraded Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 target price on Kroger in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Ten investment 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 stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $72.00.

Kroger Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of KR stock opened at $57.82 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a fifty-two week low of $54.15 and a fifty-two week high of $76.58. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $59.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $65.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.79. The company has a market cap of $35.43 billion, a PE ratio of 34.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.44.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.Kroger’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.49 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. Equities analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be issued a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This is a boost from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger’s payout ratio is currently 82.35%.

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.