Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC Grows Stock Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC grew its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 18.1% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 232,919 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 35,640 shares during the quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $15,701,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Kroger in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $518,267,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 66.6% during the third quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 5,255,084 shares of the company’s stock worth $354,245,000 after acquiring an additional 2,100,444 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 4,680,219 shares of the company’s stock worth $311,843,000 after acquiring an additional 265,127 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,309,093 shares of the company’s stock worth $290,476,000 after acquiring an additional 41,904 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 7.9% in the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,126,866 shares of the company’s stock valued at $296,028,000 after purchasing an additional 300,784 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks says Kroger outperformed the broader market today, attributing strength to investor reaction to recent leadership and execution (including a modest quarterly EPS beat) that supports near-term stability. Why the Market Dipped But Kroger (KR) Gained Today
• Positive Sentiment: Market coverage has refocused after the board named Greg Foran CEO (Feb. 9). Analysts and investors see the leadership change as a potential catalyst for strategic clarity and valuation re-rating. A Look At Kroger’s (KR) Valuation After Greg Foran’s Appointment As Chief Executive Officer
• Positive Sentiment: A federal judge tossed claims that Albertsons and Kroger violated workers’ rights related to a no‑poach/strike deal — removing a legal overhang that could have led to liabilities or reputational damage. Judge tosses claims Albertsons and Kroger violated workers rights with no-poach strike deal
• Positive Sentiment: Product and partner activity: Home Chef (Kroger-owned meal solutions) launched an exclusive Giada De Laurentiis menu, and an exclusive beverage release teased for Kroger stores — both could help drive traffic and higher-margin prepared food sales. Home Chef Partners with Emmy Award-Winning Chef Giada De Laurentiis on Exclusive Menu Coca-Cola rival teases ‘exclusive’ release in Kroger stores only – what to know
• Neutral Sentiment: Citi kept a Hold rating with a $68 price target, signaling limited near-term upside from current levels and reinforcing cautious investor expectations. Balanced Risk-Reward Keeps Kroger at Hold Amid Soft Sales Growth and Limited Near-Term Catalysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Ongoing local activity: hiring postings and modest clinic closures are operational details with limited market impact but indicate routine store-level adjustments. Employment opportunities at Kroger Kroger closing Little Clinic location in Miami County
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger is executing store closures as part of a larger 60-store U.S. shutdown plan — this reduces footprint and may pressure near-term sales in affected markets. Goodbye Kroger—the company is closing stores in Houston and Spring as part of a 60-store shutdown plan across the U.S.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyses highlight thin margins and sluggish industry growth; grocery sector pressures and lower multiples versus the S&P argue for continued caution on upside without clearer margin expansion. Kroger (KR) Navigates Thin Margins and Sluggish Industry Growth

Kroger Stock Up 2.7%

NYSE KR opened at $68.13 on Tuesday. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $58.60 and a 1 year high of $74.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.12 billion, a PE ratio of 63.08, a PEG ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.45. The business’s 50-day moving average is $64.17 and its 200 day moving average is $65.99.

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

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Kroger’s payout ratio is 129.63%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KR has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Barclays reaffirmed a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Evercore set a $77.00 price target on Kroger and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $74.07.

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.