Flputnam Investment Management Co. Takes Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Flputnam Investment Management Co. bought a new stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 56,029 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,111,000.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new position in Kroger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Kroger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on KR. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price 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. Barclays set a $61.00 target price on Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $71.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $72.00.

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger appointed former Jet.com and Walmart executive Nate Faust as its first chief e-commerce officer. His mandate includes simplifying the digital business, improving supply-chain efficiency and strengthening online grocery fulfillment—initiatives that could improve growth and margins over time. What Could Kroger Gain From Its New Ecommerce Chief And Texas Fresh Push?
• Positive Sentiment: BrightFarms expanded locally grown greenhouse greens into more than 1,000 Kroger stores in the Dallas area, giving the company additional fresh-produce offerings and a potential way to attract shoppers. Kroger is also planning a new Marketplace store in Northern Kentucky. Kroger Marketplace coming to NKY amid Publix threat
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger said it will hold its second-quarter 2026 earnings call on September 11. The announcement provides a date for investors to assess sales trends, traffic, e-commerce progress and the company’s outlook, but contains no new financial information. Kroger Announces Second Quarter Conference Call with Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Reports indicate Kroger has closed at least 39 stores across nine banners and plans to shutter 60 locations as part of a nationwide overhaul. Closures may reduce near-term sales and highlight pressure on underperforming stores, even if they eventually lower costs. Major Supermarket Chain Closures
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger’s customer traffic reportedly ranked 13th among 16 retailers in July and has been declining, raising concerns about market-share losses to Walmart, Publix and other competitors. Analysts and industry observers also described the company’s e-commerce operation as overly complex, increasing execution risk for the new digital chief. Kroger’s traffic has been declining
• Negative Sentiment: A recall involving products sold at Kroger and other retailers over a salmonella outbreak adds a potential reputational and operational risk, although the reported information does not quantify any financial impact. Kroger Products Recalled Over Salmonella Outbreak

Kroger Stock Down 0.0%

Kroger stock opened at $56.69 on Monday. 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 Kroger Co. has a fifty-two week low of $54.15 and a fifty-two week high of $76.58. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $58.60 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $64.92. The firm has a market cap of $34.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.43.

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

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be issued a $0.39 dividend. This is an increase from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. Kroger’s payout ratio is 91.76%.

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.