Junto Capital Management LP Invests $47.53 Million in The Kroger Co. $KR

Junto Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 705,107 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $47,531,000. Junto Capital Management LP owned about 0.11% of Kroger as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Hilltop Holdings Inc. lifted its position in Kroger by 17.0% during the third quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. now owns 5,112 shares of the company’s stock valued at $345,000 after purchasing an additional 742 shares during the last quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 25.0% in the 3rd quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 332,055 shares of the company’s stock worth $22,384,000 after buying an additional 66,365 shares during the last quarter. DoubleLine ETF Adviser LP purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,197,000. Element Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 3rd quarter valued at about $4,058,000. Finally, Capitolis Liquid Global Markets LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the 3rd quarter valued at about $57,146,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kroger Trading Up 0.9%

Shares of KR opened at $75.65 on Monday. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $58.60 and a 1-year high of $76.58. The company has a 50-day moving average of $66.46 and a 200 day moving average of $65.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.44, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.42.

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

Kroger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is 91.50%.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger expanded access to Eli Lilly’s Zepbound® KwikPen at participating Kroger pharmacies, which can drive pharmacy revenue, strengthen Kroger’s healthcare positioning and attract higher-margin prescription sales (and the company will honor manufacturer savings programs for eligible patients). Kroger Brings Zepbound® KwikPen to Retail Pharmacy
• Positive Sentiment: Media coverage noting the pharmacy rollout and investor reaction contributed to shares edging up; the Benzinga note flags near-term investor interest tied to the Zepbound availability. Kroger Shares Rise As Pharmacies Add Eli Lilly’s Zepbound KwikPen
• Positive Sentiment: KR’s technical/momentum profile improved after a Relative Strength rating lift to 82, which can attract momentum and technical-focused buyers. Kroger Stock Gets Relative Strength Rating Lift To 82
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share, supporting income investors and signaling confidence in cash flow (ex-dividend in May; paid June 1). Dividend growth history may underpin valuation support. Kroger’s Board of Directors Declares Quarterly Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism and post-earnings positioning continued to lift sentiment—notes point to EPS beats, FY2026 guidance and several price-target increases that have helped push shares higher after the March 5 results. Kroger shares rise 3.9% as post-earnings optimism and price-target hikes build
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger hit an all-time intraday high recently, reflecting momentum; while bullish, this can also invite short-term profit-taking. Kroger stock reaches all-time high at 74.92 USD
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger plans to close about 50 Little Clinics — a cost-cutting/reshaping move that may reduce near-term healthcare footprint and could signal lower near-term revenue from those locations. Investors may view this as a strategic tradeoff. Kroger plans to shutter 50 Little Clinics
• Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical risks from the Iran war (Strait of Hormuz disruptions) could push up supply-chain costs and retail prices, pressuring margins for grocers including Kroger if input costs rise or supply chains tighten. This is an industry-level headwind with uncertain timing. How the Iran war could start to impact U.S. retail prices
• Negative Sentiment: A recent Seeking Alpha piece argued Kroger may be fairly valued after a rally and flagged a downgrade — a reminder some analysts see less upside after the run-up, which can cap near-term gains. Kroger: Strong E-commerce Growth, But Fairly Valued After Rally (Downgrade)

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on KR shares. Wall Street Zen lowered Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 27th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, December 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price target on Kroger and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $74.56.

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.