UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC Sells 366,742 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lessened its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 7.0% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 4,878,071 shares of the company’s stock after selling 366,742 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $270,879,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Kroger in the first quarter worth $27,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new position in Kroger in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth $31,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $57.50 on Tuesday. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $54.15 and a twelve month high of $76.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. The company has a market cap of $35.23 billion, a PE ratio of 33.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.43. The company’s 50 day moving average is $57.67 and its 200 day moving average is $64.34.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced 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 business had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The business’s revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.49 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. This is an increase from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger’s payout ratio is 91.76%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on KR. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, June 19th. UBS Group set a $63.00 price target on Kroger and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, June 20th. Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $72.00.

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.