The Kroger Co. $KR Stock Sold by Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lessened its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 444,034 shares of the company’s stock after selling 13,353 shares during the quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund owned about 0.08% of Kroger worth $26,029,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the second quarter worth about $3,016,956,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $284,501,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $195,234,000. Nykredit A S acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $157,533,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $119,723,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Kroger

In other Kroger news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total transaction of $4,425,090.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 175,233 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,636,643.10. This represents a 29.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Stock Up 0.8%

Kroger stock opened at $68.58 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $62.08 and a two-hundred day moving average of $63.78. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $54.15 and a twelve month high of $76.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $40.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.27, a PEG ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its earnings results on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.04. Kroger had a return on equity of 49.90% and a net margin of 0.73%. The business had revenue of $34.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.64 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.04 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.20 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be paid a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 16th. Kroger’s payout ratio is currently 84.78%.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks identified Kroger as a top-ranked value stock, which may attract investors seeking reasonably valued shares; the article does not provide a new earnings or business catalyst. Kroger is a Top-Ranked Value Stock: Should You Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street Zen raised its rating on Kroger to Buy, adding another favorable analyst signal, though the article details were limited. Kroger Stock Rating Raised to Buy at Wall Street Zen
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger is promoting Thanksgiving meal shortcuts and distinctive food options. Seasonal merchandising could support holiday shopping, but no sales or profit impact was reported. Kroger offers shortcuts and curveballs for Thanksgiving tables
• Neutral Sentiment: A 10% Veterans Day discount for veterans and military families is a customer promotion; its financial effect is unclear. Kroger offers 10% Veterans Day discount
• Negative Sentiment: A report highlighted Kroger’s persistent price premium versus Walmart, citing a Consumer Reports estimate of 14.8%. That gap could make it harder to compete for price-sensitive shoppers and may pressure market share. Kroger and Albertsons’ CEOs Just Signaled the Walmart Price Gap Is Here to Stay

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Telsey Advisory Group dropped their price target on Kroger from $78.00 to $75.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $68.00 price objective (up from $66.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Melius Research set a $80.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Finally, Evercore set a $70.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, September 14th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $70.35.

Kroger Profile

The Kroger Co. is a U.S. grocery retailer founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1883 by Bernard Kroger. It operates supermarkets and other grocery formats across the United States under banners including Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, King Soopers, and Smith’s. Alongside groceries and household essentials, Kroger stores offer services such as pharmacies and fuel centers. The company also sells products under its own private-label brands and produces many of those items through its food manufacturing operations.