186,351 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR Acquired by Milestone Asset Management LLC

Milestone Asset Management LLC bought a new position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 186,351 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,924,000. Kroger accounts for approximately 1.7% of Milestone Asset Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest holding.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. PFG Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Kroger by 3.3% during the first quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 4,899 shares of the company’s stock valued at $354,000 after buying an additional 157 shares during the period. ROI Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 2.0% in the first quarter. ROI Financial Advisors LLC now owns 8,943 shares of the company’s stock valued at $647,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares during the period. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 2.7% in the first quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 6,768 shares of the company’s stock valued at $490,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares during the period. Wedmont Private Capital grew its stake in Kroger by 1.9% during the third quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 10,088 shares of the company’s stock valued at $620,000 after acquiring an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brookstone Capital Management grew its stake in Kroger by 0.7% during the first quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 27,345 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,979,000 after acquiring an additional 199 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on KR shares. Barclays set a $61.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Roth Capital reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $73.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, September 14th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Tuesday. Evercore set a $70.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $57.00 price target (down from $61.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $69.82.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s planned elimination of approximately 3,000 corporate positions over three years is intended to reduce expenses, fund lower prices and support investments in AI, pharmacy margins, e-commerce and retail media. Investors could view the restructuring as a potential profitability catalyst if savings are reinvested effectively. Kroger AI efficiency push and corporate job cuts
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger continues to hold a leading position in the Central Ohio grocery market, supporting the investment case that its scale and customer base can defend sales against Aldi and other discount competitors. Kroger Central Ohio grocery market leadership
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts describe KR as undervalued, citing cost reductions and the potential for an operational turnaround. Its latest quarterly results also exceeded EPS expectations, while full-year guidance was maintained. Kroger valuation and turnaround analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s October 20 investor day could provide additional detail on AI savings, pricing strategy, capital allocation and the company’s longer-term turnaround plan.
• Negative Sentiment: Albertsons is seeking more than $8 billion in damages related to the failed merger, creating potentially significant legal and financial uncertainty for Kroger. Albertsons lawsuit against Kroger
• Negative Sentiment: Other coverage warns that slowing sales and a premium earnings multiple may limit upside, particularly if cost savings do not translate into stronger customer traffic or margins. Kroger slowing sales and valuation concerns
• Negative Sentiment: The scale of the layoffs raises execution and morale risks, while recent institutional selling and insider sales add another cautious signal for investors.

Kroger Trading Down 0.7%

NYSE KR opened at $62.66 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $58.72 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $61.68. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $54.15 and a twelve month high of $76.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59. The company has a market capitalization of $37.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.05, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.36.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $34.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.64 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.73% and a return on equity of 49.90%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.04 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be paid a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is 84.78%.

Insider Activity at Kroger

In related news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction on Friday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total value of $4,425,090.70. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 175,233 shares in the company, valued at $10,636,643.10. This trade represents a 29.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Profile

The Kroger Co is a U.S.-based food and consumer goods retailer headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, the company has grown into one of the largest supermarket operators in the United States.

Kroger operates supermarkets, multi-department stores, marketplace-format stores, pharmacies and fuel centers. Its stores sell groceries, fresh produce, meat, seafood, bakery and deli products, household essentials, health and beauty items, and general merchandise. The company also offers digital shopping, pickup and delivery services, loyalty programs, and a range of private-label products.

The company serves customers across numerous U.S.