WINTON GROUP Ltd Invests $3.11 Million in The Kroger Co. $KR

WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 49,791 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,111,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 303 shares during the period. Avalon Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the third quarter worth $29,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the third quarter worth $31,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $63.59 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.42. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $67.52 and a 200 day moving average price of $66.63. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $58.60 and a 1 year high of $76.58. The stock has a market cap of $38.96 billion, a PE ratio of 41.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.43.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a net margin of 0.69% and a return on equity of 41.08%. The firm had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.10 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.14 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Kroger’s payout ratio is presently 91.50%.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is promoting its new limited-time “All-American Ice Cream Collection” and giving away 100,000 free pints for the summer solstice, a marketing push that could lift traffic and reinforce customer engagement. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports noted new or upcoming Kroger Marketplace openings and development progress in Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia, signaling continued store expansion and local market investment. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several lifestyle and local-news pieces highlighted the ice cream giveaway and store openings, but these are largely promotional updates rather than material financial catalysts. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger agreed to a $2.5 million DOJ settlement over alleged Clean Air Act emissions violations, which adds a legal and compliance overhang even if the dollar amount is relatively small. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: A report suggesting Kroger may lose more executives could raise concerns about management turnover and continuity. Article Title

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KR has been the subject of several research reports. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price objective on shares of Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $75.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 target price (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Barclays reissued a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, February 9th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Kroger presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $74.73.

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.