Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC Acquires 28,435 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC grew its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 36.1% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 107,245 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 28,435 shares during the period. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $7,229,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. WESPAC Advisors LLC grew its position in Kroger by 1.2% in the third quarter. WESPAC Advisors LLC now owns 13,585 shares of the company’s stock valued at $916,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. WPG Advisers LLC increased its stake in Kroger by 16.8% in the 3rd quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 1,160 shares of the company’s stock valued at $78,000 after buying an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its position in Kroger by 4.9% during the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 3,648 shares of the company’s stock worth $262,000 after buying an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas now owns 18,846 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,270,000 after buying an additional 173 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Perigon Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,869 shares of the company’s stock worth $665,000 after buying an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on KR shares. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $70.00 price target (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, December 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 5th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $70.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, December 29th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Kroger has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $74.38.

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat on profit and margins: Kroger reported adjusted EPS above estimates, delivered gross‑margin expansion and 20% e‑commerce growth; management also rolled out FY‑26 adjusted EPS guidance above consensus and approved further buybacks — a clear catalyst for earnings per‑share growth. PR Newswire
• Positive Sentiment: Large, sustained capital returns: Management completed accelerated repurchases in 2025 and the board approved an additional $2B repurchase authorization on top of a $7.5B program; analysts and commentators say buybacks plus a growing dividend underpin long‑term per‑share upside. MarketBeat
• Positive Sentiment: Street support and upgrades: Several shops have reiterated/raised ratings and price targets (e.g., Roth MKM reaffirmed buy with a $78 PT; Telsey lifted its target), reinforcing positive sentiment into the print. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual bullish options flow: Call buying spiked (large single‑day activity), suggesting some traders are positioning for additional upside or event‑driven moves.
• Neutral Sentiment: New CEO’s playbook: Greg Foran is pushing lower prices, sharper promotions, AI and e‑commerce improvements to accelerate sales — a credible strategic pivot but execution and timing remain uncertain. FoodBusinessNews
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst consensus is broadly constructive (moderate buy), but median price targets leave limited near‑term upside absent stronger top‑line revisions. AmericanBankingNews
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue and sales outlook are muted: Q4 revenue slightly missed estimates and management offered modest identical‑sales guidance for 2026 (1–2% ex‑fuel), tempering a rally based solely on EPS strength. Retail Insight Network
• Negative Sentiment: Product recalls: Kroger‑branded and partner rice/frozen products were included in a glass‑fragment recall, creating short‑term inventory, sales and reputational headwinds in affected markets. MSN
• Negative Sentiment: Labor and legal exposure: Class‑action suits over e‑commerce worker classification and heightened union friction (Teamsters commentary) add regulatory/legal risk and potential costs. GroceryDive
• Negative Sentiment: Dividend sustainability question: Commentary flagged a high payout ratio on a GAAP basis (dividend > GAAP net income), which could worry income investors despite strong cash flow and buybacks. 24/7 Wall St.

Kroger Trading Up 3.8%

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $74.31 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $58.60 and a 52-week high of $74.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.80. The company has a market capitalization of $47.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $65.35 and a 200 day simple moving average of $65.92.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The firm had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.14 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were given a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. Kroger’s payout ratio is 129.63%.

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.