12,466 The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Purchased by Confluence Wealth Services Inc.

Confluence Wealth Services Inc. lifted its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 85.4% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 27,071 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 12,466 shares during the period. Confluence Wealth Services Inc.’s holdings in Kroger were worth $1,587,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of KR. Axiom Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Kroger during the first quarter valued at $31,000. North Point Portfolio Managers Corp OH purchased a new stake in Kroger in the third quarter worth about $30,000. GK Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger in the third quarter worth about $33,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 979.6% in the third quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 583 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 529 shares during the period. Finally, Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 75.0% in the third quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 700 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on KR shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Evercore set a $70.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, September 14th. Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $57.00 target price (down from $61.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. UBS Group set a $66.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $68.00 price target (up from $66.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $70.35.

Kroger Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of KR stock opened at $69.49 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 0.70. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $62.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $63.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.04 billion, a PE ratio of 37.77, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.36. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $54.15 and a 52-week high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $34.62 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.64 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 49.90% and a net margin of 0.73%. The business’s revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.04 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. On average, analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.20 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be issued a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Kroger’s payout ratio is currently 84.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Kroger news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total value of $4,425,090.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 175,233 shares in the company, valued at $10,636,643.10. This represents a 29.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are a few of the latest headlines about KR:

• Positive Sentiment: A long-term investing article highlights Kroger’s relatively quick dividend growth and illustrates how recurring annual investments could build dividend income over time. The example is a projection, not a guaranteed return. If You Invest $1,200 a year in Kroger Stock, Here’s the Dividend Income It Could Generate Over 20 Years
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage argues Kroger’s grocery “moat” remains a strength amid uncertainty around the Albertsons deal, supporting the case for its competitive resilience. Albertsons deal or no deal: Why Kroger’s grocery moat is winning
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks labeled Kroger a top-ranked value and long-term growth stock based on its Style Scores. These screen-based assessments may interest investors but do not establish a near-term business catalyst. Why Kroger (KR) is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term

Kroger Profile

The Kroger Co. is a U.S. grocery retailer founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1883 by Bernard Kroger. It operates supermarkets and other grocery formats across the United States under banners including Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, King Soopers, and Smith’s. Alongside groceries and household essentials, Kroger stores offer services such as pharmacies and fuel centers. The company also sells products under its own private-label brands and produces many of those items through its food manufacturing operations.