ProShare Advisors LLC Boosts Stake in The Kroger Co. $KR

ProShare Advisors LLC raised its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 7.0% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 136,251 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,927 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $8,513,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its stake in Kroger by 7.5% in the 4th quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 13,524 shares of the company’s stock valued at $845,000 after buying an additional 944 shares during the last quarter. Alta Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Kroger by 201.7% in the 4th quarter. Alta Capital Management LLC now owns 49,020 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,063,000 after buying an additional 32,770 shares during the last quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC increased its stake in Kroger by 22.6% in the 4th quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 5,078 shares of the company’s stock valued at $317,000 after buying an additional 936 shares during the last quarter. Tucker Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at about $104,000. Finally, Gabelli Funds LLC increased its stake in Kroger by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 202,600 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,658,000 after buying an additional 3,600 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger said it will host its first-quarter 2026 earnings conference call on June 18, giving investors a clear near-term catalyst to watch for sales trends, margin commentary, and updated guidance. Kroger Announces First Quarter Conference Call with Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: Higher gas prices are pressuring household budgets, and some grocery chains are eyeing price cuts to help shoppers. That could support traffic for value-focused retailers like Kroger, but it also points to a tougher pricing environment. Rising Gas Prices Are Hitting Household Budgets. Some Grocery Stores Are Eyeing Price Cuts In Response.
• Neutral Sentiment: News coverage also highlighted Kroger’s recent annual-report progress and reputation gains, which may help support the long-term investment case, even if it is not an immediate stock mover. 3 key figures from Kroger’s annual report
• Negative Sentiment: Reuters and other outlets reported that Kroger is planning major price cuts under new CEO Greg Foran to win back shoppers from Walmart, Costco, and Aldi. While potentially good for traffic, the move raises concerns about near-term margin pressure, which appears to be weighing on the stock. Kroger plans price cuts as new CEO looks to regain shoppers
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple reports flagged a recall of Kroger garlic cheese croutons over possible salmonella contamination, adding another headline-risk item for the company. Kroger garlic cheese croutons sold in 17 states recalled for salmonella risk
• Negative Sentiment: Separate coverage noted Kroger’s stock had already been under pressure recently, reflecting investor concern that aggressive discounting and recall headlines could hurt profitability. Kroger (KR) Stock Dips While Market Gains: Key Facts

Kroger Stock Down 2.3%

KR opened at $67.09 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $69.65 and a 200 day moving average of $66.72. The company has a market cap of $41.10 billion, a PE ratio of 43.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.46. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $58.60 and a 12 month high of $76.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.10 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.69% and a return on equity of 41.08%. Kroger’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.14 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 91.50%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have commented on KR shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Kroger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $70.00 to $68.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Telsey Advisory Group increased their price objective on shares of Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and set a $70.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.87.

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.