Van ECK Associates Corp Cuts Stock Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Van ECK Associates Corp lowered its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 41.9% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 69,944 shares of the company’s stock after selling 50,348 shares during the quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp’s holdings in Kroger were worth $3,884,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in Kroger during the 2nd quarter valued at $3,016,956,000. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 1.2% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 31,948,112 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,153,622,000 after purchasing an additional 386,503 shares during the last quarter. GQG Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 11.3% during the fourth quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 13,398,072 shares of the company’s stock valued at $837,113,000 after purchasing an additional 1,360,946 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 0.4% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 12,296,026 shares of the company’s stock valued at $889,878,000 after buying an additional 53,625 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in Kroger in the 4th quarter worth about $470,561,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $58.53 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $57.69 and a 200 day moving average of $64.09. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.41. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $54.15 and a 12-month high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 during 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%.The firm’s revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.49 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th were issued a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. This is an increase from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger’s payout ratio is 91.76%.

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger named Mark Ibbotson executive vice president and chief store operations officer, effective September 14. His experience leading Walmart’s e-commerce platform could support Kroger’s digital ordering, store productivity and omnichannel strategy. Kroger names Mark Ibbotson Executive Vice President and Chief Store Operations Officer
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerages collectively maintain a “Moderate Buy” rating on KR, suggesting analysts see potential upside but not a strong consensus catalyst. Kroger Given Average Rating of Moderate Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts describe Kroger’s valuation as broadly fair after a roughly 40% five-year return. The assessment offers limited support for the shares but does not identify a compelling bargain. Kroger Stock Looks Fair On Earnings While Returns Stay Strong
• Neutral Sentiment: New Kroger Marketplace developments in London, including a Crumbl Cookies location, indicate continued investment in stores and expanded customer offerings, although the direct financial impact appears limited. Kroger Marketplace and Crumbl Cookies Among New London Developments
• Negative Sentiment: Oppenheimer expects Kroger’s fiscal second-quarter identical sales to fall short of consensus amid a challenging grocery environment. A weaker same-store sales outlook raises concerns about customer traffic, pricing and margin performance. Kroger Could Miss Quarterly Identical Sales Views
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger’s planned $1.65 billion grocery acquisition is drawing scrutiny because the company remains in litigation related to its prior merger attempt. Reusing a similar regulatory strategy could increase execution risk, legal costs and uncertainty around the deal. Kroger Is Buying Another Grocery Chain While Still in Court
• Negative Sentiment: A recent sell-focused analysis points to Kroger’s underperformance over the past six months and argues that investors may find more attractive opportunities elsewhere. This reinforces the broader cautious tone surrounding the shares. 3 Reasons to Sell KR and 1 Stock to Buy Instead

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings lowered Kroger from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, June 19th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and issued a $71.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, Barclays set a $61.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $71.75.

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.