Quantum Portfolio Management LLC Boosts Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Quantum Portfolio Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 58.1% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 31,511 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 11,584 shares during the period. Quantum Portfolio Management LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $2,124,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of KR. Oak Ridge Investments LLC boosted its position in Kroger by 18.6% during the 3rd quarter. Oak Ridge Investments LLC now owns 3,919 shares of the company’s stock valued at $264,000 after acquiring an additional 614 shares in the last quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $403,000. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 4.1% during the third quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 30,678 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,068,000 after purchasing an additional 1,204 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 1.5% during the third quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 30,879 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,081,000 after purchasing an additional 465 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Evergreen Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Kroger by 16.8% in the third quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 8,358 shares of the company’s stock worth $563,000 after purchasing an additional 1,205 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger launched same‑day delivery on Uber Eats, Uber and Postmates across nearly 2,700 Kroger‑family stores, expanding its omnichannel reach and lowering friction for online sales. This should help digital sales growth and margins over time by leveraging Uber’s logistics network. Kroger Launches Fast, Convenient Delivery on Uber Apps Nationwide
• Positive Sentiment: Market coverage and commentary position Kroger as well placed to navigate industry pressure (scale, omnichannel, diversified revenues). Positive analyst/industry tone supports multiple catalysts for valuation re‑rating. 2 Supermarket Stocks Positioned to Navigate Industry Challenges
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage consensus remains constructive (average rating “Moderate Buy”), which can support investor demand and limit downside. The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry coverage and news pieces note Kroger’s broader response to food price pressure and product trend initiatives — helpful for long‑term positioning but unlikely to move near‑term earnings materially. Kroger, McDonald’s answer soaring restaurant, grocery prices
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger Health hit a milestone in its prescription drug safety program (250,000+ students reached). Positive for brand and healthcare strategy, but limited direct near‑term EPS impact. Kroger Health Reaches New Milestone in Prescription Drug Safety Program
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger is promoting 2026 food trends and opening new local stores (e.g., Fenton), signaling continued investment in product mix and footprint optimization. These are incremental positives but not game‑changing alone. Kroger reveals 2026 food trend predictions Kroger preparing to open new store in Fenton next week
• Negative Sentiment: Local store closures in McKinney and the sale of at least one former Kroger site to Goodwill indicate continued portfolio rationalization; while expected in a large footprint, closures can pressure local volumes and reflect tough trade dynamics in some markets. Central McKinney Kroger store slated for closure, officials confirm Goodwill buys former Kroger building on Colerain Avenue

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on KR shares. Barclays set a $68.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $70.00 price objective (down previously from $78.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Morgan Stanley set a $67.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $68.00 target price (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $73.88.

Kroger Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $63.18 on Monday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $63.72 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $66.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $39.98 billion, a PE ratio of 58.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.61. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $58.12 and a 52-week high of $74.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.88.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $33.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.98 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.