Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. Acquires 10,810 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 76.8% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 24,886 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 10,810 shares during the quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Kroger were worth $1,678,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in Kroger by 27.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,733 shares of the company’s stock valued at $962,000 after acquiring an additional 3,373 shares in the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 10.2% in the 1st quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 9,309 shares of the company’s stock valued at $630,000 after purchasing an additional 864 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 38.5% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 118,377 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,013,000 after purchasing an additional 32,930 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 7.9% in the first quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 9,669 shares of the company’s stock valued at $654,000 after purchasing an additional 705 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth about $481,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of KR opened at $59.85 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $63.96 and its 200 day simple moving average is $67.43. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $58.12 and a 1-year high of $74.90. The company has a market cap of $37.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.41, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.61.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $33.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.27 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.54% and a return on equity of 38.06%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.98 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank upgraded Kroger from Hold to Buy and set a $75 price target (roughly ~25% upside vs. current levels), a clear catalyst for fresh buy interest and analyst-led flows. Kroger resumed with a Buy at Deutsche Bank
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call buying (≈23,336 contracts, ~49% above average) signals short-term bullish positioning by traders, which can amplify upside as market makers hedge by buying shares.
• Positive Sentiment: New customer-facing programs — a “Verified Savings” produce-discount plan and the Yearly Checkout feature that highlights household savings — should help drive loyalty and basket value, supporting comps and membership metrics. Kroger Unveils Customer’s 2025 Yearly Checkout Verified Savings program
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary on rival Albertsons highlights sector valuation dynamics (Albertsons pitched as deep-value vs. Kroger’s higher multiple); this frames investor comparisons but is not a direct company development. Albertsons: Deep Value on the Surface, Opportunity Beneath?
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger will close about 60 stores as it refocuses on stronger markets after a failed merger effort — a short-term headwind to revenue and potential severance/closure costs, though the move may improve long‑term portfolio profitability. Kroger to close 60 stores
• Negative Sentiment: An Orion, MI Kroger was temporarily closed after inspectors found rodent evidence — a localized operational/PR issue that could pressure store-level sales and invites regulatory scrutiny if not contained. Orion Kroger temporarily closed

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Barclays set a $68.00 target price on Kroger and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Evercore ISI set a $77.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Roth Capital upgraded shares of Kroger from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.19.

Kroger Company 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.