Nordea Investment Management AB Purchases 265,127 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Nordea Investment Management AB raised its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 6.0% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 4,680,219 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 265,127 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB’s holdings in Kroger were worth $311,843,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 27.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,733 shares of the company’s stock valued at $962,000 after purchasing an additional 3,373 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP lifted its stake in Kroger by 40.7% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 56,243 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,807,000 after purchasing an additional 16,270 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its stake in Kroger by 19.5% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 40,038 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,710,000 after purchasing an additional 6,547 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in Kroger by 66.8% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 5,834 shares of the company’s stock valued at $395,000 after buying an additional 2,337 shares during the period. Finally, Modern Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter valued at about $654,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on KR shares. Wall Street Zen lowered Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $68.00 target price (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Morgan Stanley set a $72.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, December 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $70.00 price target (down previously from $78.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $74.19.

Kroger Stock Performance

NYSE:KR opened at $61.10 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $63.83 and its 200 day simple moving average is $67.19. The stock has a market cap of $38.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 56.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.61. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $58.12 and a twelve month high of $74.90.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $33.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.27 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.54% and a return on equity of 38.06%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.98 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger announced an expanded relationship with Google Cloud to scale generative AI (Gemini Enterprise) across its digital network to drive personalization and agentic shopping experiences — a major strategic growth driver. PR Newswire: Kroger Scales Generative AI Strategy
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple outlets report Kroger is rolling out an AI shopping and meal-planning assistant nationwide using Google’s Gemini to personalize offers, recipes and shopping lists — expected to boost digital engagement and average order value. MSN: Kroger to turn grocery shopping into personal assistant
• Positive Sentiment: Industry reports and analyst notes detail Kroger’s tech pilots (including early deployments alongside Papa Johns) and use of Gemini agents for retail customer experience — signaling faster rollout and partner validation. PYMNTS: Kroger, Papa Johns Test Gemini AI Agents
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage from Supermarket News, Benzinga and Progressive Grocer highlights the AI-driven shopping agent launch and Kroger’s strategy to better connect with shoppers — reinforcing the narrative investors are rewarding. Supermarket News: Kroger launches AI-driven shopping agent
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger launched a program offering 20% off fresh produce in some markets — a traffic-driving promotion that could increase footfall and basket size (short-term margin tradeoff). WAND-TV: Kroger launches 20% off fresh produce
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger completed its 2025 remodels with a ribbon-cutting in Indiana — ongoing store refreshes that typically support sales per square foot and long-term comp growth. Progressive Grocer: Kroger wraps 2025 remodels
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary flagged Kroger stock’s uptick today (Zacks coverage) — reflecting investor enthusiasm for the AI/story-driven move rather than new financial results. Zacks: Kroger Beats Stock Market Upswing
• Neutral Sentiment: Non-operational item: a former Kroger family estate listing has no material impact on the business outlook. BizJournals: Former Kroger family estate for sale

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.