Swiss National Bank Increases Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Swiss National Bank increased its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 2.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,764,500 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 39,300 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in Kroger were worth $127,679,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 268.1% in the fourth quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter valued at $33,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kroger Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of KR opened at $58.37 on Tuesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $61.57 and its 200 day moving average is $65.57. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $54.15 and a 12-month high of $76.58. The company has a market capitalization of $35.76 billion, a PE ratio of 34.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.44.

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

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. This is an increase from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is 82.35%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently issued reports on KR. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Citigroup lowered their price target on Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $72.00.

Kroger 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.