Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky Trims Stock Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky trimmed its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 1.2% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 866,959 shares of the company’s stock after selling 10,900 shares during the quarter. Kroger makes up approximately 0.5% of Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky’s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky’s holdings in Kroger were worth $62,733,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KR. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 268.1% during the 4th quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares during the period. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new stake in Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Price Performance

KR opened at $60.58 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $62.52 and its 200 day moving average price is $65.76. 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 $37.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.64, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its 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 firm 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%. The business’s revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.49 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. This is an increase from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 91.76%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on KR. Erste Group Bank cut shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. UBS Group set a $63.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 20th. 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 equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $72.00.

Trending Headlines about Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Traders bought an unusually large number of Kroger call options, suggesting some investors are betting on more upside in the stock. Unusual options trading on Kroger
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is moving forward with its $1.65 billion Giant Eagle deal, a major strategic move that could expand its market presence and boost long-term scale. Kroger progresses on USD 1.65 billion deal to acquire Giant Eagle
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is also investing in store upgrades, including expanding wine offerings at 147 in-store shops, which may support sales trends and customer traffic. Kroger to upgrade wine selection at 147 in-store shops
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports suggest Kroger may sell some Giant Eagle stores, especially in Columbus, as part of the broader deal. That could help with antitrust or integration issues, but it also signals potential divestitures. Kroger likely to sell some Giant Eagle stores in Columbus
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger reportedly walked back its cage-free egg pledge, which could raise questions about customer trust and ESG commitments. Kroger walks back its cage-free egg pledge

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.