The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Acquired by Financial Enhancement Group LLC

Financial Enhancement Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 13.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 122,819 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,250 shares during the quarter. Financial Enhancement Group LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $6,820,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of KR. Allstate Corp grew its position in shares of Kroger by 108.5% during the fourth quarter. Allstate Corp now owns 47,991 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,998,000 after acquiring an additional 24,976 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,169,425 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,821,546,000 after acquiring an additional 868,529 shares during the period. Conning Inc. lifted its position in Kroger by 10,178.7% in the 4th quarter. Conning Inc. now owns 507,459 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,706,000 after purchasing an additional 502,522 shares during the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH grew its position in Kroger by 30.6% in the 4th quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 894,217 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,946,000 after purchasing an additional 209,264 shares during the last quarter. Finally, North Dakota State Investment Board bought a new position in Kroger in the 4th quarter worth about $1,299,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Stock Down 0.7%

KR stock opened at $57.81 on Wednesday. The Kroger Co. has a 52 week low of $54.15 and a 52 week high of $76.58. The company has a market capitalization of $35.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.43. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $59.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $65.30. 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 issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The company had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.49 earnings per share. The company’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, analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This is an increase from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is 82.35%.

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are cautiously optimistic about Kroger despite its recent underperformance, with the company’s valuation and earnings outlook offering potential upside. Kroger’s latest guidance calls for fiscal 2026 EPS of $5.10 to $5.30, broadly consistent with the analyst consensus. Kroger Stock: Analyst Estimates & Ratings
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually strong options activity provided a bullish market signal, with traders purchasing 27,085 KR call options—112% above the average daily volume. Options activity can indicate increased expectations for a potential rebound, although it does not guarantee sustained buying in the shares.
• Positive Sentiment: Harris Teeter, Kroger’s subsidiary, launched prescription delivery bundled with grocery delivery through Instacart. The service could improve customer convenience, strengthen digital engagement and support sales growth in pharmacy and e-commerce. Harris Teeter Launches New Prescription Delivery Options
• Neutral Sentiment: Incoming CEO Greg Foran’s international retail experience may help Kroger respond to changing consumer behavior and improve operations, but the article does not identify a specific near-term financial benefit. How executives with international experience give grocers a critical edge
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported changes at Kroger and Walmart stores in Indianapolis suggest ongoing efforts to adapt local operations, though the available information does not establish a clear companywide earnings impact. Indianapolis shoppers see big changes at local Walmart, Kroger stores
• Negative Sentiment: Continued store closures raise concerns about Kroger’s growth prospects, customer traffic and potential restructuring costs, even if closures ultimately improve efficiency. Grocery giant Kroger keeps closing stores
• Negative Sentiment: A voluntary recall of prepared foods and baked products sold at Kroger and other retailers over possible aluminum or metal contamination creates a limited product and reputational risk, although the products were manufactured by Ukrop Homestyle Foods rather than Kroger. Baked products recalled over fears of aluminum slivers

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on KR shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, June 19th. Barclays set a $61.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Weiss Ratings cut Kroger from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 target price on Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $72.00.

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.