Ritholtz Wealth Management Buys 25,869 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Ritholtz Wealth Management raised its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 46.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 81,413 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 25,869 shares during the quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management’s holdings in Kroger were worth $4,772,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of KR. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the second quarter valued at approximately $3,016,956,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the second quarter worth approximately $284,501,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $195,234,000. Nykredit A S acquired a new stake in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $157,533,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG bought a new stake in Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at $119,723,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on KR shares. Telsey Advisory Group decreased their price objective on Kroger from $78.00 to $75.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, September 14th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, September 14th. UBS Group set a $66.00 target price on Kroger and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Melius Research set a $80.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. Finally, Evercore set a $70.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Kroger currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $70.35.

Kroger Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $69.81 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $41.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.94, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.36. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $62.54 and its 200 day moving average is $63.84. 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 2.59, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 0.70.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its earnings results on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.04. The firm 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 company’s revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.04 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.20 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

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

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

These are some of the KR headlines that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger Atlanta opened a $39 million Marketplace in Locust Grove, while another report notes a fourth new store in central Ohio since 2024. These investments support expansion, though their individual effect on companywide results is likely limited. Kroger Atlanta Opens $39M Marketplace In Locust Grove Kroger opens fourth new store in central Ohio since 2024
• Neutral Sentiment: A report says Kroger will close all stores for 24 hours next month. The planned one-day closure may affect shopping schedules, but the headline does not indicate a lasting financial impact. Grocery giant Kroger gives go-ahead to shut down all 1,233 stores for 24 hours next month
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage highlights discount retailers including Five Below and Dollar General as competitors challenging traditional grocers. More price-focused competition could pressure Kroger’s customer traffic, pricing, or margins. Five Below and Dollar General challenge Kroger, Publix

Insider Buying and Selling at Kroger

In related news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total transaction of $4,425,090.70. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 175,233 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,636,643.10. This trade represents a 29.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Kroger Company 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.