OP Asset Management Ltd Purchases Shares of 64,836 The Kroger Co. $KR

OP Asset Management Ltd purchased a new position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm purchased 64,836 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,692,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of KR. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. lifted its holdings in Kroger by 45.5% in the 3rd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 855,810 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,690,000 after purchasing an additional 267,434 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in Kroger by 16.2% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,063,474 shares of the company’s stock valued at $139,099,000 after buying an additional 287,755 shares in the last quarter. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd raised its position in shares of Kroger by 18.1% during the third quarter. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd now owns 150,356 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,135,000 after buying an additional 23,027 shares during the last quarter. JCP Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,773,000. Finally, Allstate Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 108.5% in the fourth quarter. Allstate Corp now owns 47,991 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,998,000 after buying an additional 24,976 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on KR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, June 19th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $80.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, UBS Group set a $63.00 target price on Kroger and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $71.94.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger raised its quarterly dividend by 11% to $0.39 per share, signaling confidence in cash flow and extending its record of annual dividend increases. Kroger’s Board of Directors Raises Quarterly Dividend by 11%
• Positive Sentiment: The company expanded its rewards program so shoppers can now redeem points for dollars off groceries in-store and online, not just fuel discounts, which could help boost customer retention and spending frequency. Kroger Rewards Program Expands with New Ways to Save
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger also announced additional loyalty-program enhancements and promotional tie-ins, including fuel points being usable for groceries, reinforcing its value proposition at a time when consumers remain price-sensitive. Kroger expands loyalty program: What you need to know
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger updated board leadership and director compensation, but the move appears administrative and is unlikely to materially affect near-term fundamentals. Kroger Updates Board Leadership Role and Director Compensation
• Neutral Sentiment: Management is leaning into seasonal merchandising and marketing around July 4th, which supports sales but is not a major new catalyst. Kroger Fires Up Fourth of July Celebrations with Trending “Flight” Food Experiences
• Negative Sentiment: A recalled chicken product over allergens is a consumer-safety issue that could create reputational noise, though the direct financial impact looks limited. Kroger, Fred Meyer chicken recalled over allergens

Kroger Stock Performance

Kroger stock opened at $57.84 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $64.45 and its 200-day moving average price is $66.06. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. The company has a market cap of $35.43 billion, a PE ratio of 34.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.42. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $55.60 and a twelve month high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The business had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.49 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be issued a $0.39 dividend. This is a positive change from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 91.76%.

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.