The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Purchased by Jones Financial Companies Lllp

Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 15.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 58,117 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 7,733 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp’s holdings in Kroger were worth $3,806,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp acquired a new position in Kroger in the second quarter valued at $28,000. Rossby Financial LCC purchased a new stake in Kroger during the second quarter worth $29,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 10,425.0% in the 2nd quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 421 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 417 shares in the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its stake in Kroger by 87.8% in the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 445 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 208 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Social and trader sentiment is upbeat about Kroger’s rebound potential despite recent profit volatility; posts highlight a low forward P/E, long dividend history and traders adding long exposure — supporting momentum and buyer interest. Kroger Stock (KR) Opinions on Recent Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional activity shows large buys from firms like Wellington, UBS and Goldman, offsetting notable sells — heavy additions by major asset managers can be a near-term support for the stock. Institutional holdings and hedge fund activity
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage is favorable: recent “Buy/Outperform” notes and a median price target around $70 (several targets higher) give investors a visible upside reference that can lift sentiment. Analyst ratings and targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger scheduled its Q4 2025 earnings conference call for March 5 — management commentary and Q&A could move the stock depending on guidance detail and margin commentary. Earnings call announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Management changes: Kroger named a new Central Division president as part of divisional reshuffling — typically neutral but worth watching for execution on regional performance. Kroger names new Central Division president
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing and seasonal demand articles (Big Game/Valentine’s Day) and consumer tips increase traffic/awareness but are unlikely to materially change fundamentals on their own. In the Kitchen with Kroger
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger plans to close 18 retail health clinics in Georgia — closures signal portfolio pruning or cost actions but could reduce ancillary revenue and customer touchpoints in those markets. Kroger to reportedly close 18 health clinics in Georgia Kroger to close 18 retail health clinics
• Negative Sentiment: Store-safety incident: local reports of a fight and an individual reportedly pulling a gun prompted an evacuation at a Kroger store — negative for brand/safety perception in that location, though limited likely to be a localized, short-term impact. Kroger evacuated after fight breaks out Person reportedly pulls gun out during fight at local Kroger

Kroger Price Performance

KR stock opened at $67.54 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $63.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of $66.20. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $58.60 and a one year high of $74.90. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $42.74 billion, a PE ratio of 62.54, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.62.

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

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Kroger’s payout ratio is presently 129.63%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 5th. Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $68.00 price objective (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Evercore set a $77.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, December 27th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 target price for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.07.

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.