Harbour Investments Inc. Acquires 51,252 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Harbour Investments Inc. raised its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 701.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 58,558 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 51,252 shares during the period. Harbour Investments Inc.’s holdings in Kroger were worth $3,659,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Kroger by 268.1% during the 4th quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Avalon Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on KR. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 4th. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price objective on Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Barclays reiterated a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Eight equities research 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.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.87.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $64.81 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $39.71 billion, a PE ratio of 42.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.46. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $68.99 and its 200-day moving average is $66.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.80. The Kroger Co. has a 52 week low of $58.60 and a 52 week high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.14 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced 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 is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Kroger’s payout ratio is presently 91.50%.

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is moving ahead with a plan to cut prices on thousands of items, which could help protect traffic and market share as it competes more aggressively with Walmart and Costco. Kroger plans to cut prices on thousands of items to boost competitiveness, Bloomberg report says
• Positive Sentiment: Industry commentary suggesting grocery prices may rise further could support revenue, since higher shelf prices can lift sales dollars even if unit volume growth is mixed. Americans Are About to Pay Even More at the Grocery Store
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger announced the retirement of Executive Vice President and Chief Associate Experience Officer Tim Massa, adding to a recent string of senior departures under new CEO Greg Foran; investors may see this as leadership turnover during a strategic transition. Kroger announces retirement of Tim Massa, Executive Vice President and Chief Associate Experience Officer
• Neutral Sentiment: Separately, Kroger’s broader investment case still leans on its push to become a more competitive value grocer, but that strategy may take time to show up in earnings. We Want to Be America’s Best Grocer: Kroger’s Aggressive Plan to Beat Walmart and Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Shares fell sharply in the prior session as investors worried about a tougher margin backdrop from higher grocery price competition and a weak read-through from Walmart’s profit outlook. Kroger (KR) Stock Drops Despite Market Gains: Important Facts to Note
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger also faced a product recall involving croutons in 17 states over possible salmonella contamination, which could weigh on sentiment around food safety and execution. Kroger croutons recalled in 17 states over possible salmonella contamination

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.