Huntington National Bank Has $5.14 Million Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Huntington National Bank raised its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 16.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 76,314 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 10,847 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank’s holdings in Kroger were worth $5,144,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in KR. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at $518,267,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 66.6% in the third quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 5,255,084 shares of the company’s stock valued at $354,245,000 after purchasing an additional 2,100,444 shares during the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its position in shares of Kroger by 6.0% in the third quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 4,680,219 shares of the company’s stock valued at $311,843,000 after purchasing an additional 265,127 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in shares of Kroger by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,309,093 shares of the company’s stock worth $290,476,000 after buying an additional 41,904 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 7.9% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,126,866 shares of the company’s stock worth $296,028,000 after buying an additional 300,784 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Kroger Stock Performance

KR opened at $68.13 on Friday. 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 52-week low of $58.60 and a 52-week high of $74.90. The firm has a market cap of $43.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 63.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.62. The business’s fifty day moving average is $64.60 and its 200-day moving average is $65.88.

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

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced 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. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 129.63%.

Trending Headlines about Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Appointed a new CEO with Walmart U.S. experience — Kroger has hired the former Walmart U.S. boss as CEO, a hire investors may view as strengthening Kroger’s operations, merchandising and scale play. The Supply Side: Former Walmart U.S. boss hired as Kroger CEO
• Positive Sentiment: Pharmacy initiative to offer savings on GLP‑1 drugs — Kroger rolled out programs to reduce out‑of‑pocket costs for GLP‑1 medications, which can drive pharmacy traffic and same‑store sales if uptake is meaningful. Kroger Offers Savings Programs For GLP-1 Medications
• Positive Sentiment: Strengthening consumer brand play via MPearlRock — Kroger’s affiliate MPearlRock added three operating advisors to bolster value creation for portfolio brands, supporting long‑term growth in higher‑margin channels. MPearlRock Announces Addition of Three Distinguished Operating Advisors
• Positive Sentiment: Community/PR efforts — Kroger continued community outreach with donations and “Pack the Pantry” events at HBCUs, supporting brand goodwill and customer engagement. Kroger donates $35K to fight food insecurity at HBCUs
• Neutral Sentiment: Ocado comments underscore Kroger’s automation pullback but broader market opportunity remains — Ocado says it still sees U.S. prospects even after Kroger closed several robotic DCs, highlighting a mixed signal on Kroger’s tech path. Ocado upbeat on US prospects despite Kroger setback
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo downgraded Kroger to Equal Weight and cut its price target to $68, citing caution on spending and growth — this analyst move is directly negative for sentiment and could limit near‑term upside. Wells Fargo Turns Neutral on Kroger (KR), Flags Spending and Growth Concerns
• Negative Sentiment: Continued store closures — reports that Kroger (parent of Fred Meyer/QFC) is closing stores nationwide may signal ongoing restructuring or weak locations, which can weigh on sales growth and investor sentiment. Fred Meyer, QFC parent company Kroger continues store closures nationwide

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on KR shares. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley set a $67.00 target price on Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, February 9th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $68.00 price objective (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Kroger currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $73.93.

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.