PensionDanmark Pensionsforsikringsaktieselskab Grows Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

PensionDanmark Pensionsforsikringsaktieselskab increased its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 30.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 169,114 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 39,140 shares during the quarter. PensionDanmark Pensionsforsikringsaktieselskab’s holdings in Kroger were worth $9,391,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new stake in Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Kroger during the first quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on KR. Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Weiss Ratings downgraded Kroger from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, June 19th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price objective on Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $72.00.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $56.70 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $34.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.43. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $54.15 and a 52-week high of $76.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.79. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $59.15 and its two-hundred day moving average is $65.16.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.49 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This is a boost from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 82.35%.

About Kroger

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.