Westpac Banking Corp Boosts Stock Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Westpac Banking Corp lifted its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 55.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 55,471 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 19,804 shares during the period. Westpac Banking Corp’s holdings in Kroger were worth $4,014,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new position in Kroger during the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 268.1% in the 4th quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at $33,000. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $57.81 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.79. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $54.15 and a 52-week high of $76.58. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $61.43 and its 200-day moving average price is $65.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $35.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.44.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted 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). The firm had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.49 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend 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 payout ratio is currently 91.76%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on KR. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $71.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target 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. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, June 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $72.00.

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.