MAI Capital Management Purchases 39,888 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

MAI Capital Management grew its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 79.7% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 89,934 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 39,888 shares during the quarter. MAI Capital Management’s holdings in Kroger were worth $6,062,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of Nova Scotia raised its position in shares of Kroger by 102.5% during the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 168,395 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,079,000 after buying an additional 85,223 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC grew its position in Kroger by 43.4% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 72,244 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,870,000 after buying an additional 21,876 shares in the last quarter. AdvisorShares Investments LLC bought a new position in Kroger during the second quarter valued at about $480,000. Liberty One Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Kroger by 85.0% in the 3rd quarter. Liberty One Investment Management LLC now owns 857,667 shares of the company’s stock valued at $57,828,000 after acquiring an additional 394,060 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mediolanum International Funds Ltd lifted its position in shares of Kroger by 401.3% in the 3rd quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd now owns 19,470 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,293,000 after acquiring an additional 15,586 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Stock Down 0.7%

KR opened at $67.14 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $64.48 and its 200-day simple moving average is $65.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.88. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $58.60 and a twelve month high of $74.90. The firm has a market cap of $42.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 62.17, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.62.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $33.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.27 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.54% and a return on equity of 38.06%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.98 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is 129.63%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on KR shares. Wells Fargo & Company cut Kroger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $70.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Evercore set a $77.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Morgan Stanley set a $67.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $73.93.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: New CEO hire — Kroger named former Walmart U.S. boss Greg Foran as CEO, signaling a stronger focus on cost control, margin improvement and operational restructuring that investors generally view as value-accretive over time. The Supply Side: Former Walmart U.S. boss hired as Kroger CEO
• Positive Sentiment: Pharmacy strategy — Kroger rolled out savings programs for GLP‑1 medications and other pharmacy initiatives (including dietitian consults), which can drive foot traffic, prescription volume and pharmacy margin expansion over time. Kroger Offers Savings Programs For GLP-1 Medications
• Positive Sentiment: Brand & portfolio support — MPearlRock (a Kroger-linked partnership) added senior operating advisors to strengthen value creation for consumer brands, supporting Kroger’s strategy to monetize private-label and consumer brand investments. MPearlRock Announces Addition of Three Distinguished Operating Advisors to Strengthen Value Creation Capabilities
• Positive Sentiment: Customer experience recognition — Kroger ranked among the best grocery stores in an ACSI survey, which supports brand strength and customer retention. Kroger among best grocery stores in the US, survey reveals. See list
• Neutral Sentiment: Community and local expansion items (packs the pantry, new McKinney store start, free virtual dietitian consults) are positive for PR and local sales but unlikely to materially move the stock in the short term. Kroger “Packs the Pantry” to combat food insecurity at the AUC
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrade — Wells Fargo cut Kroger to Equal Weight from Overweight and trimmed its price target, citing higher spending and slower growth prospects; this directly pressures sentiment and can weigh on the stock near term. Wells Fargo Turns Neutral on Kroger (KR), Flags Spending and Growth Concerns
• Negative Sentiment: Store closures and operational resets — Kroger continues to close underperforming Fred Meyer/QFC stores and has previously shut robotic distribution centers, which raises near-term restructuring costs and execution risk even if aimed at long‑term efficiency. Fred Meyer, QFC parent company Kroger continues store closures nationwide
• Negative Sentiment: Partner pullback context — Ocado said Kroger’s earlier decision to close some robotic DCs was a setback; that dynamic highlights execution risk on tech investments and may temper investors’ confidence in automation-driven cost savings. Ocado upbeat on US prospects despite Kroger setback

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.