Narwhal Capital Management Has $1.88 Million Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Narwhal Capital Management grew its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 163.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 30,081 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 18,649 shares during the quarter. Narwhal Capital Management’s holdings in Kroger were worth $1,879,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new position in Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Kroger by 268.1% during the fourth quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. Avalon Trust Co acquired a new stake in Kroger during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 100.0% during the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 490 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 245 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is turning its annual Wellness Festival into a multi-city, in-store tour for 2026 — a move likely to boost community engagement, drive store traffic and reinforce Kroger’s health/wellness positioning. Kroger Wellness Festival leaves Cincinnati for 2026, shifts to other cities
• Positive Sentiment: Consumer coverage highlights recent Kroger private‑label wins and new product buzz (e.g., a Kroger breakfast sandwich gaining traction and a roundup of “best new items”), which can lift margins and basket spend if adoption scales. The 8 Best New Items To Grab At Kroger In May 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger earned a platinum rating for career growth in a workforce analysis — a positive for talent retention and execution capacity across stores and operations. Kroger Earns Platinum Rating For Career Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts expect Kroger’s upcoming quarter to show a single‑digit EPS increase; investors will focus on traffic trends, margin cadence and management commentary. What to Expect From Kroger’s Next Quarterly Earnings Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation discussion: recent pullback has reopened the debate over whether KR’s premium P/E and growth outlook are priced in — a mixed signal for longer‑term buyers. Is Kroger (KR) Offering Value After Recent Pullback
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group downgraded Kroger from “buy” to “hold,” which can pressure sentiment among growth‑oriented investors. Analyst downgrade report
• Negative Sentiment: State-level policy moves (e.g., Maryland exploring bans on “surveillance pricing” for grocers/delivery platforms) introduce regulatory risk that could affect pricing strategies and margin levers going forward. Maryland surveillance pricing article
• Negative Sentiment: Recent short-term price weakness and coverage noting a pullback (and a daily decline reported in market summaries) keep near-term sentiment cautious ahead of earnings. Kroger stock declines summary

Kroger Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of KR opened at $66.91 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $58.60 and a 12 month high of $76.58. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $70.40 and its 200-day moving average is $66.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $40.99 billion, a PE ratio of 43.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.55.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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. The business had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.10 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.14 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is 91.50%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $75.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Erste Group Bank downgraded Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 price objective (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $74.56.

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.