Voya Investment Management LLC Trims Stock Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Voya Investment Management LLC lessened its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 17.2% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 150,117 shares of the company’s stock after selling 31,220 shares during the period. Voya Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $10,119,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KR. Bank of Nova Scotia increased its position in Kroger by 102.5% in the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 168,395 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,079,000 after buying an additional 85,223 shares in the last quarter. Monument Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,901,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd increased its holdings in Kroger by 2,313.4% in the 2nd quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 138,915 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,964,000 after acquiring an additional 133,159 shares in the last quarter. Advocate Group LLC raised its stake in Kroger by 16.6% during the 2nd quarter. Advocate Group LLC now owns 121,392 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,707,000 after acquiring an additional 17,284 shares during the period. Finally, AdvisorShares Investments LLC purchased a new position in Kroger during the second quarter valued at approximately $480,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: The Board approved an incremental $2.0 billion share‑repurchase authorization, increasing the company’s available buyback firepower to roughly $2.9 billion. That signals capital-return focus and can support the share price by reducing float and demonstrating management confidence. Kroger’s Board of Directors Approves Additional $2.0 Billion Share Repurchase Authorization
• Positive Sentiment: Media coverage highlights Kroger’s active buybacks as management continues repurchases even while the stock has been underperforming recently — a catalyst investors often view as shareholder-friendly and supportive of near‑term EPS. Kroger Board Boosts Stock-Buyback Program by $2 Billion
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple consumer‑facing articles outline Kroger holiday hours (Christmas Eve/Day) and store openings — operational details that are useful for consumers but unlikely to materially change fundamentals. Grocery stores open on Christmas Eve: Walmart, Kroger, Costco, Sam’s Club, and more
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional local and national guides on Kroger holiday hours and store closures provide context for short‑term traffic patterns but are not expected to materially affect earnings. Would Kroger be open on Christmas Eve? Store hours, dates, and more explored
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage alleging a large crime‑related retail impact — claiming ~$112B in losses and the closure of ~60 Kroger stores with ~9,000 jobs lost — is a serious headline risk. If accurate and widespread, store closures or higher shrink/crime costs could pressure margins and future store economics. Investors will treat this as a material operational and reputational concern until clarified by Kroger. $112B crime wave wipes out 60 Kroger stores in retail bloodbath – 9,000 jobs lost

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KR has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Argus set a $85.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, September 18th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Kroger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, October 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 5th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $80.00 price objective (down previously from $82.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $74.13.

Kroger Trading Down 0.0%

NYSE KR opened at $62.27 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $39.40 billion, a PE ratio of 57.65, a PEG ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.58. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $65.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $67.79. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $58.12 and a 12 month high of $74.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $33.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.27 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.54% and a return on equity of 38.06%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.98 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current year.

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.