Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky Lowers Stock Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky lessened its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 1.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 866,959 shares of the company’s stock after selling 10,900 shares during the quarter. Kroger makes up 0.5% of Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky’s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest position. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky owned about 0.14% of Kroger worth $62,733,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Kroger by 268.1% in the 4th quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 303 shares during the period. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger in the 1st quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new position in Kroger during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have issued reports on KR shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, June 19th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Kroger presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $72.00.

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Traders bought an unusually large number of Kroger call options, suggesting some investors are betting on more upside in the stock. Unusual options trading on Kroger
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is moving forward with its $1.65 billion Giant Eagle deal, a major strategic move that could expand its market presence and boost long-term scale. Kroger progresses on USD 1.65 billion deal to acquire Giant Eagle
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is also investing in store upgrades, including expanding wine offerings at 147 in-store shops, which may support sales trends and customer traffic. Kroger to upgrade wine selection at 147 in-store shops
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports suggest Kroger may sell some Giant Eagle stores, especially in Columbus, as part of the broader deal. That could help with antitrust or integration issues, but it also signals potential divestitures. Kroger likely to sell some Giant Eagle stores in Columbus
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger reportedly walked back its cage-free egg pledge, which could raise questions about customer trust and ESG commitments. Kroger walks back its cage-free egg pledge

Kroger Price Performance

KR stock opened at $60.58 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.39. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $62.52 and a 200-day simple moving average of $65.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $37.11 billion, a PE ratio of 35.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.44. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $54.15 and a 1 year high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.49 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. This is a boost from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger’s payout ratio is presently 91.76%.

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.