OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp Invests $2.14 Million in The Kroger Co. $KR

OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp purchased a new position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 38,548 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,141,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KR. Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the second quarter worth about $5,515,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in Kroger during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $48,766,000. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. acquired a new stake in Kroger during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $849,000. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd purchased a new stake in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $8,858,000. Finally, Haverford Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $301,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays set a $61.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective 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. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, June 20th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Kroger from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $72.00.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Instacart partnership expands omnichannel potential. Kroger has rolled out combined grocery and eligible prescription delivery nationwide across more than 2,200 pharmacies and nearly all major banners, including Fred Meyer, Ralphs and Harris Teeter. The service could increase customer convenience, order frequency and pharmacy engagement while strengthening Kroger’s digital ecosystem. Kroger Rolls Out Combined Grocery And Prescription Delivery Nationwide
• Positive Sentiment: Store investments support longer-term sales capacity. Kroger plans new stores in Dearborn and Commerce Township, Michigan, and is investing millions of dollars in store remodels and local initiatives. These projects are positive for market presence and customer experience, although their financial contribution is likely to develop gradually. Kroger Adding New Stores in Dearborn and Commerce Township in 2027
• Neutral Sentiment: Automation and private-label visibility provide incremental support. Reports that Kroger is rolling out inventory robots and continued attention to its store-brand products point to efforts to improve labor productivity, inventory management and value perception. The articles do not indicate a near-term earnings impact. Kroger Rolls Out Inventory Robots
• Negative Sentiment: $17 million pharmacy settlement weighs on sentiment. Multiple outlets report that eligible customers may receive payments under a settlement involving alleged prescription-price or copay overcharges. The settlement appears manageable relative to Kroger’s size, but continued coverage could create reputational concerns around its pharmacy business. A shopper’s complaint about an underweight beef package is similarly negative publicity, though unlikely to materially affect earnings. Kroger Pharmacy Settlement Coverage

Kroger Stock Performance

KR stock opened at $58.59 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. The firm has a market cap of $35.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.43. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $54.15 and a 12-month high of $76.58. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $57.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $64.57.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.49 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be given a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This is an increase from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. 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.