Plato Investment Management Ltd Makes New Investment in The Kroger Co. $KR

Plato Investment Management Ltd acquired a new position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm acquired 20,302 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,121,000.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Allstate Corp increased its holdings in Kroger by 108.5% during the 4th quarter. Allstate Corp now owns 47,991 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,998,000 after purchasing an additional 24,976 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Kroger by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,169,425 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,821,546,000 after purchasing an additional 868,529 shares during the last quarter. Conning Inc. boosted its stake in Kroger by 10,178.7% in the fourth quarter. Conning Inc. now owns 507,459 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,706,000 after purchasing an additional 502,522 shares in the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH boosted its stake in Kroger by 30.6% in the fourth quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 894,217 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,946,000 after purchasing an additional 209,264 shares in the last quarter. Finally, North Dakota State Investment Board bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter worth $1,299,000. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on KR. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $80.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $72.00.

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is opening new Marketplace locations in metro Atlanta, expanding its larger-format grocery, general merchandise and prepared-food offering. A new store is also planned for Lenoir City, Tennessee, supporting the company’s long-term growth and local market presence. Kroger opens new Marketplace locations in metro Atlanta New Kroger grocery store coming to Lenoir City
• Neutral Sentiment: Rebel Creamery, whose ice cream products are sold at Kroger and other major retailers, filed for bankruptcy while appealing a multimillion-dollar judgment. The development could affect product availability, but appears unlikely to have a material direct impact on Kroger’s finances. Ice cream brand sold at Kroger files for bankruptcy
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger reportedly plans to close 60 U.S. stores in 2026, including locations tied to its Fry’s banner. The closures may improve efficiency and profitability, but they also signal weak store economics and could reduce sales and customer reach. Kroger to Close 60 Stores
• Negative Sentiment: Reports and social-media reactions highlight declining Kroger store traffic, raising concerns about competitive pressure, consumer behavior and the company’s ability to sustain sales growth. Kroger’s declining traffic
• Negative Sentiment: A jalapeño-related salmonella recall involving products sold at Kroger and other grocers creates potential reputational, compliance and customer-trust risks, although the financial impact is not yet clear. Products recalled over jalapeño salmonella outbreak
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger’s co-branded credit card with U.S. Bank is reportedly being discontinued, including changes to gas-discount benefits. Ending the program may frustrate shoppers and weaken loyalty incentives. Kroger’s credit card is going away

Kroger Price Performance

KR opened at $56.39 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $58.34 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $64.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.55 billion, a PE ratio of 33.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.43. The Kroger Co. has a 52 week low of $54.15 and a 52 week high of $76.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.79.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 analyst estimates of $45.59 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.49 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

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

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.