The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Acquired by Pictet Asset Management Holding SA

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA increased its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 15.7% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 395,540 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 53,578 shares during the quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA’s holdings in Kroger were worth $28,624,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new position in Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 268.1% in the 4th quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the third quarter worth $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $70.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. UBS Group set a $63.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Kroger from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $71.94.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $56.13 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.39. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $54.15 and a 1 year high of $76.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.39 billion, a PE ratio of 33.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.44. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $63.73 and its 200-day moving average price is $65.94.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted 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). Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The firm had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.49 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a $0.39 dividend. This is an increase from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Kroger’s payout ratio is 82.35%.

Trending Headlines about Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: The Giant Eagle acquisition could boost Kroger’s scale, market share, and revenue base in attractive regional markets while strengthening its pharmacy and digital fulfillment footprint. Kroger Tries a Smaller Grocery Deal After Albertsons Merger Fizzled
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators viewed the deal as a more manageable, offensive move that could help Kroger defend against Walmart and Amazon while buying revenue at a relatively low sales multiple. Kroger Expands Footprint With $1.65 Billion Giant Eagle Acquisition
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader grocery-sector trading was mixed, offering little extra direction from the industry backdrop. Sector Update: Consumer Stocks Mixed Late Afternoon
• Negative Sentiment: Some investors appeared cautious on the acquisition because it adds integration risk and new liabilities at a time when Kroger already carries meaningful debt, which may pressure near-term margins and balance sheet flexibility. Kroger (KR) Stock Slips on Plans to Purchase Giant Eagle for $1.65B

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.