Palmer Knight Co Acquires Shares of 102,618 The Kroger Co. $KR

Palmer Knight Co acquired a new stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund acquired 102,618 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,698,000. Kroger accounts for 2.2% of Palmer Knight Co’s holdings, making the stock its 25th largest holding.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Kroger during the 2nd quarter valued at $3,016,956,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Kroger in the 4th quarter worth $470,561,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $195,234,000. Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new position in Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $119,723,000. Finally, Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 299.6% during the second quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 2,420,495 shares of the company’s stock valued at $173,622,000 after acquiring an additional 1,814,721 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of KR opened at $56.39 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.55 billion, a PE ratio of 33.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.43. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $58.34 and its 200 day moving average price is $64.84. 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 12-month low of $54.15 and a 12-month high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share 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 the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.49 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. This is a boost from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger’s payout ratio is currently 91.76%.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is opening new Marketplace locations in metro Atlanta, expanding its larger-format grocery, general merchandise and prepared-food offering. A new store is also planned for Lenoir City, Tennessee, supporting the company’s long-term growth and local market presence. Kroger opens new Marketplace locations in metro Atlanta New Kroger grocery store coming to Lenoir City
• Neutral Sentiment: Rebel Creamery, whose ice cream products are sold at Kroger and other major retailers, filed for bankruptcy while appealing a multimillion-dollar judgment. The development could affect product availability, but appears unlikely to have a material direct impact on Kroger’s finances. Ice cream brand sold at Kroger files for bankruptcy
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger reportedly plans to close 60 U.S. stores in 2026, including locations tied to its Fry’s banner. The closures may improve efficiency and profitability, but they also signal weak store economics and could reduce sales and customer reach. Kroger to Close 60 Stores
• Negative Sentiment: Reports and social-media reactions highlight declining Kroger store traffic, raising concerns about competitive pressure, consumer behavior and the company’s ability to sustain sales growth. Kroger’s declining traffic
• Negative Sentiment: A jalapeño-related salmonella recall involving products sold at Kroger and other grocers creates potential reputational, compliance and customer-trust risks, although the financial impact is not yet clear. Products recalled over jalapeño salmonella outbreak
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger’s co-branded credit card with U.S. Bank is reportedly being discontinued, including changes to gas-discount benefits. Ending the program may frustrate shoppers and weaken loyalty incentives. Kroger’s credit card is going away

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on KR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, June 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, June 19th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $80.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 target price on Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Kroger has an average 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.