Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Grows Stock Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund grew its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 2.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 547,051 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 14,014 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund’s holdings in Kroger were worth $34,180,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Stephens Inc. AR boosted its stake in Kroger by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 17,995 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,124,000 after buying an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC now owns 5,348 shares of the company’s stock worth $342,000 after acquiring an additional 188 shares during the period. HUB Investment Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 3.0% during the 2nd quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 6,568 shares of the company’s stock worth $471,000 after acquiring an additional 192 shares during the period. Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI now owns 15,756 shares of the company’s stock valued at $984,000 after acquiring an additional 195 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 17.4% during the 3rd quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 1,328 shares of the company’s stock valued at $90,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s stock gained after the company continued to draw attention for resilient trading and a history of beating earnings estimates, which has helped support investor optimism around its next quarterly report. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company is rolling out promotions and shopper-focused deals, including free ice cream, BOGO meats, lower-priced items, and summer fuel savings, which may help traffic and customer loyalty. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is also getting product-placement and store-traffic benefits from branded launches and local store expansion news, including a new M&M’s flavor at Kroger stores and an Elkview location expected to open in 2027. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts note Kroger has lagged the broader S&P 500 over the past year, but views on its longer-term growth prospects remain somewhat constructive. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger agreed to pay $1.25 million to settle a false advertising case over inaccurate calorie counts, adding another legal cost and keeping attention on compliance risk. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Separate reporting on digital shelf labels and “surge pricing” fears could increase investor concern that pricing changes may create customer backlash or regulatory scrutiny. Article Title

Kroger Stock Up 2.4%

Shares of KR opened at $64.53 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $66.96 and its 200 day moving average price is $66.56. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $58.60 and a 12-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 firm has a market cap of $39.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.42.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on KR shares. Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and set a $75.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group upped 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. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $74.73.

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.