Kroger (NYSE:KR) Rating Increased to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Kroger (NYSE:KR) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Saturday morning.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $70.00 target price (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price target for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Barclays restated a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Erste Group Bank initiated coverage on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Kroger presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.56.

Kroger Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of KR opened at $72.35 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The stock has a market cap of $44.32 billion, a PE ratio of 47.29, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.55. Kroger has a 1 year low of $58.60 and a 1 year high of $76.58. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $69.66 and a 200-day simple moving average of $66.52.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The business had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.14 EPS. Kroger’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Kroger will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Kroger’s payout ratio is currently 91.50%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kroger

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KR. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 268.1% in the fourth quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares in the last quarter. Avalon Trust Co bought a new position in Kroger in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

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.