US Bancorp DE Has $35.42 Million Stock Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

US Bancorp DE cut its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 4.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 525,483 shares of the company’s stock after selling 26,476 shares during the quarter. US Bancorp DE owned approximately 0.08% of Kroger worth $35,423,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at $518,267,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH increased its stake in Kroger by 66.6% in the third quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 5,255,084 shares of the company’s stock valued at $354,245,000 after acquiring an additional 2,100,444 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its position in Kroger by 6.0% in the third quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 4,680,219 shares of the company’s stock worth $311,843,000 after purchasing an additional 265,127 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in Kroger by 1.0% in the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,309,093 shares of the company’s stock worth $290,476,000 after purchasing an additional 41,904 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in Kroger by 7.9% during the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,126,866 shares of the company’s stock worth $296,028,000 after purchasing an additional 300,784 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on KR shares. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Barclays reiterated a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $70.00 target price (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Morgan Stanley set a $67.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $68.00 price target (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $73.93.

Kroger Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $68.13 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28. The firm has a market cap of $43.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 63.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.62. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $58.60 and a 12 month high of $74.90. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $64.60 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $65.93.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.98 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 129.63%.

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Appointed a new CEO with Walmart U.S. experience — Kroger has hired the former Walmart U.S. boss as CEO, a hire investors may view as strengthening Kroger’s operations, merchandising and scale play. The Supply Side: Former Walmart U.S. boss hired as Kroger CEO
• Positive Sentiment: Pharmacy initiative to offer savings on GLP‑1 drugs — Kroger rolled out programs to reduce out‑of‑pocket costs for GLP‑1 medications, which can drive pharmacy traffic and same‑store sales if uptake is meaningful. Kroger Offers Savings Programs For GLP-1 Medications
• Positive Sentiment: Strengthening consumer brand play via MPearlRock — Kroger’s affiliate MPearlRock added three operating advisors to bolster value creation for portfolio brands, supporting long‑term growth in higher‑margin channels. MPearlRock Announces Addition of Three Distinguished Operating Advisors
• Positive Sentiment: Community/PR efforts — Kroger continued community outreach with donations and “Pack the Pantry” events at HBCUs, supporting brand goodwill and customer engagement. Kroger donates $35K to fight food insecurity at HBCUs
• Neutral Sentiment: Ocado comments underscore Kroger’s automation pullback but broader market opportunity remains — Ocado says it still sees U.S. prospects even after Kroger closed several robotic DCs, highlighting a mixed signal on Kroger’s tech path. Ocado upbeat on US prospects despite Kroger setback
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo downgraded Kroger to Equal Weight and cut its price target to $68, citing caution on spending and growth — this analyst move is directly negative for sentiment and could limit near‑term upside. Wells Fargo Turns Neutral on Kroger (KR), Flags Spending and Growth Concerns
• Negative Sentiment: Continued store closures — reports that Kroger (parent of Fred Meyer/QFC) is closing stores nationwide may signal ongoing restructuring or weak locations, which can weigh on sales growth and investor sentiment. Fred Meyer, QFC parent company Kroger continues store closures nationwide

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.