Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC Increases Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 7.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 523,922 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 34,656 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC owned about 0.08% of Kroger worth $32,346,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Avalon Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Kroger by 87.8% in 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 Kroger in the second quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in 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 in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $72.70 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.52, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.62. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $58.60 and a twelve month high of $76.58. 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 business’s 50 day simple moving average is $68.03 and its 200-day simple moving average is $66.23.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The firm had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.10 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.14 EPS. The firm’s 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 forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued 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 is Friday, May 15th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 91.50%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on KR. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $70.00 price objective (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, December 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their price objective on Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Barclays restated a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.56.

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.