Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Grows Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund grew its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 2.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 547,051 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,014 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund owned about 0.09% of Kroger worth $34,180,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. GWN Securities Inc. boosted its position in Kroger by 12.1% during the fourth quarter. GWN Securities Inc. now owns 56,110 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,506,000 after purchasing an additional 6,050 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC increased its position in shares of Kroger by 22.7% in the fourth quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 8,265 shares of the company’s stock valued at $516,000 after buying an additional 1,530 shares in the last quarter. Miramar Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $8,221,000. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 10.1% during the 4th quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 3,357,243 shares of the company’s stock worth $209,761,000 after buying an additional 309,064 shares during the period. Finally, Manchester Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 6.7% during the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 6,031 shares of the company’s stock worth $377,000 after buying an additional 381 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s stock gained after the company continued to draw attention for resilient trading and a history of beating earnings estimates, which has helped support investor optimism around its next quarterly report. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company is rolling out promotions and shopper-focused deals, including free ice cream, BOGO meats, lower-priced items, and summer fuel savings, which may help traffic and customer loyalty. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is also getting product-placement and store-traffic benefits from branded launches and local store expansion news, including a new M&M’s flavor at Kroger stores and an Elkview location expected to open in 2027. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts note Kroger has lagged the broader S&P 500 over the past year, but views on its longer-term growth prospects remain somewhat constructive. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger agreed to pay $1.25 million to settle a false advertising case over inaccurate calorie counts, adding another legal cost and keeping attention on compliance risk. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Separate reporting on digital shelf labels and “surge pricing” fears could increase investor concern that pricing changes may create customer backlash or regulatory scrutiny. Article Title

Kroger Stock Up 2.4%

NYSE KR opened at $64.53 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $66.96 and a 200 day moving average price of $66.56. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $58.60 and a one year high of $76.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.80. The company has a market cap of $39.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.42.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and set a $75.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $74.73.

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.