Legal & General Group Plc Buys Shares of 5,123,374 The Kroger Co. $KR

Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 5,123,374 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $284,501,000. Legal & General Group Plc owned 0.84% of Kroger at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in Kroger by 27.3% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,733 shares of the company’s stock worth $962,000 after acquiring an additional 3,373 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP lifted its stake in shares of Kroger by 40.7% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 56,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,807,000 after purchasing an additional 16,270 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth $201,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 11.5% during the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 97,288 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,978,000 after purchasing an additional 10,051 shares during the period. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,840,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Nationwide grocery-and-prescription delivery: Kroger and Instacart launched a combined delivery service through Kroger’s websites and apps across nearly all major banners, including Fred Meyer, Ralphs and Harris Teeter. The service may improve convenience, encourage larger orders and strengthen Kroger’s digital ecosystem, although near-term financial benefits were not disclosed. Kroger Customers Can Shop for Groceries and Prescriptions in a Single Order
• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion and remodeling: Kroger plans new stores in Dearborn and Commerce Township, Michigan, in 2027, while also investing millions of dollars in two existing-store remodels and local programs. These projects signal continued investment in market share and the physical store base, though they will require additional capital spending. Kroger Adding New Stores in Dearborn and Commerce Township in 2027
• Positive Sentiment: Automation rollout: Kroger is introducing inventory robots, a move that could improve stock accuracy, product availability and labor efficiency. The earnings impact remains uncertain because the reports did not provide implementation costs or savings estimates. Kroger Rolls Out Inventory Robots
• Neutral Sentiment: A media comparison highlighting Kroger-branded products may reinforce the value proposition of its private-label business, but it is not a new corporate announcement and is unlikely to materially affect KR by itself. 10 Kroger Store-Brand Foods That Beat Name Brands
• Negative Sentiment: $17 million pharmacy settlement: Kroger pharmacy customers may be eligible for payments under a proposed class-action settlement alleging overcharges involving generic prescriptions and a savings program. The settlement creates a direct financial cost and adds reputational and compliance risk, although the amount is modest relative to Kroger’s sales. Kroger Must Pay $17 Million Settlement

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 20th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Kroger from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $72.00.

Kroger Trading Down 1.0%

NYSE:KR opened at $58.49 on Wednesday. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $54.15 and a 12-month high of $76.58. The firm has a market cap of $35.84 billion, a PE ratio of 34.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.43. 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 stock has a fifty day moving average price of $57.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $64.63.

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

Kroger Increases Dividend

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

About Kroger

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.