Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Trims Stock Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lessened its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 6.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 194,948 shares of the company’s stock after selling 12,981 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.’s holdings in Kroger were worth $14,106,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of KR. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of Kroger by 61.1% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 33,367,551 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,249,307,000 after acquiring an additional 12,652,261 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $470,561,000. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 299.6% in the 2nd quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 2,420,495 shares of the company’s stock worth $173,622,000 after acquiring an additional 1,814,721 shares during the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 48.6% in the 4th quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 4,445,479 shares of the company’s stock worth $277,754,000 after acquiring an additional 1,453,966 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GQG Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 11.3% during the 4th quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 13,398,072 shares of the company’s stock worth $837,113,000 after purchasing an additional 1,360,946 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of KR opened at $57.84 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $35.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.02, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.42. The Kroger Co. has a fifty-two week low of $55.60 and a fifty-two week high of $76.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $64.45 and its 200 day moving average price is $66.06.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.49 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th will be issued a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. This is a boost from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 82.35%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on KR. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 price objective on Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $70.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their target price on Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $71.94.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger raised its quarterly dividend by 11% to $0.39 per share, signaling confidence in cash flow and extending its record of annual dividend increases. Kroger’s Board of Directors Raises Quarterly Dividend by 11%
• Positive Sentiment: The company expanded its rewards program so shoppers can now redeem points for dollars off groceries in-store and online, not just fuel discounts, which could help boost customer retention and spending frequency. Kroger Rewards Program Expands with New Ways to Save
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger also announced additional loyalty-program enhancements and promotional tie-ins, including fuel points being usable for groceries, reinforcing its value proposition at a time when consumers remain price-sensitive. Kroger expands loyalty program: What you need to know
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger updated board leadership and director compensation, but the move appears administrative and is unlikely to materially affect near-term fundamentals. Kroger Updates Board Leadership Role and Director Compensation
• Neutral Sentiment: Management is leaning into seasonal merchandising and marketing around July 4th, which supports sales but is not a major new catalyst. Kroger Fires Up Fourth of July Celebrations with Trending “Flight” Food Experiences
• Negative Sentiment: A recalled chicken product over allergens is a consumer-safety issue that could create reputational noise, though the direct financial impact looks limited. Kroger, Fred Meyer chicken recalled over allergens

Kroger 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.