National Pension Service Purchases 29,347 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

National Pension Service boosted its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 2.0% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 1,469,005 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 29,347 shares during the quarter. National Pension Service’s holdings in Kroger were worth $91,783,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Kroger by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,169,425 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,821,546,000 after acquiring an additional 868,529 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in Kroger by 61.1% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 33,367,551 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,249,307,000 after buying an additional 12,652,261 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in Kroger by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 31,948,112 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,153,622,000 after buying an additional 386,503 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in Kroger by 15.8% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 6,327,182 shares of the company’s stock worth $426,515,000 after buying an additional 865,559 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH lifted its position in Kroger by 66.6% during the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 5,255,084 shares of the company’s stock worth $354,245,000 after buying an additional 2,100,444 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks pieces frame Kroger as potentially undervalued and a possible dividend/value pick versus Walmart, which may support investor interest in the stock. Are Investors Undervaluing The Kroger Co. (KR) Right Now?
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger received a 2026 Gold Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health for the fifth straight year, reinforcing its employer brand and suggesting continued focus on workforce stability and culture. Kroger Earns Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health for Fifth Consecutive Year
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional commentary highlights KR as a candidate for dividend-focused investors, but this is largely a reiteration of Kroger’s existing income profile rather than a fresh catalyst. Kroger (KR) Could Be a Great Choice
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry comparison articles such as KR vs. WMT are more about relative valuation than a company-specific development, so they are likely having only a limited direct impact. KR vs. WMT: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
• Negative Sentiment: A report that Kroger is facing a costly store fix after a federal lawsuit could pressure margins and raise concerns about legal and compliance-related expenses. Kroger forced to make costly store fix after federal lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: News that Kroger’s North American Ocado fulfillment centers were shut in part due to weaker-than-expected demand is a reminder of previous technology/investment missteps, which may weigh on investor confidence. UK grocer Asda taps Ocado to revamp online business
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of multiple executive departures under new CEO Greg Foran add leadership uncertainty at a time when the company is still being reshaped. Kroger loses four top executives under new CEO Greg Foran

Kroger Stock Performance

NYSE KR opened at $62.25 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The company has a market capitalization of $38.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 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 firm has a 50-day moving average price of $68.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $66.75.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. The firm 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%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.14 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is 91.50%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Barclays reissued a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Kroger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $70.00 to $68.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, 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.