Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Sells 79,777 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio decreased its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 28.5% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 200,364 shares of the company’s stock after selling 79,777 shares during the quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in Kroger were worth $11,126,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of KR. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the second quarter worth $3,016,956,000. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Kroger by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 31,948,112 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,153,622,000 after buying an additional 386,503 shares during the period. GQG Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Kroger by 11.3% in the 4th quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 13,398,072 shares of the company’s stock valued at $837,113,000 after acquiring an additional 1,360,946 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Kroger by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 12,296,026 shares of the company’s stock valued at $889,878,000 after acquiring an additional 53,625 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $470,561,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on KR. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $71.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, June 1st. UBS Group set a $63.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $80.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $72.00.

Kroger Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $57.73 on Monday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $57.63 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $64.41. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $54.15 and a one year high of $76.58. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $35.37 billion, a PE ratio of 33.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.43.

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

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be issued a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This is a boost from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger’s payout ratio is currently 91.76%.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger announced its 2026 Wellness Tour, with September in-store and community events intended to increase customer engagement and reinforce the company’s health-and-wellness offerings. The initiative is strategically positive, though its near-term financial impact is likely limited. Kroger Wellness Tour announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity, with purchases more than double the typical daily volume, suggests increased bullish speculative interest. However, options activity does not guarantee sustained buying in the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Murray’s Cheese, a Kroger brand, expanded its premium cave-aged collection to select Harris Teeter stores in Charlotte. The launch supports product differentiation and potentially higher-margin sales but is unlikely to materially affect companywide results. Murray’s Cheese Harris Teeter launch
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s recent earnings showed revenue growth and earnings ahead of the prior-year period, but earnings per share narrowly missed estimates. Management’s fiscal-year EPS guidance remains a key factor for investors assessing whether the current valuation is justified.
• Negative Sentiment: Industry data indicated Kroger’s foot traffic declined in July as the broader supermarket sector also struggled. Persistent traffic weakness could pressure comparable sales and raise concerns about consumer demand. Kroger July foot traffic report
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger agreed to pay $17 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging prescription-drug pricing practices. The cash cost is manageable relative to Kroger’s size, but the settlement adds legal expense and reputational risk. Kroger prescription pricing settlement
• Negative Sentiment: Sony Music sued Kroger over alleged unauthorized use of songs in social-media advertising, creating another potential legal liability. The financial impact is uncertain, but the lawsuit adds to investor concerns following the pharmacy settlement. Sony Music lawsuit against Kroger

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.