Great Lakes Advisors LLC Invests $743,000 in The Kroger Co. $KR

Great Lakes Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 13,386 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $743,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of KR. Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new position in Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 1st quarter worth approximately $31,000. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

KR has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Barclays set a $61.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $80.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $72.00.

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s dividend profile continues to attract attention from income-focused investors. Analysts reviewing the stock highlight its potential appeal as a dividend investment, which could support demand for the shares. Kroger Could Be a Great Choice
• Positive Sentiment: The company is expanding its Fold Bitcoin Gift Card offering after a successful pilot, adding another digital and cryptocurrency-related feature for customers. The initiative is strategically positive but is unlikely to materially affect near-term financial results. Kroger Expands Fold Bitcoin Gift Card Offering
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is unveiling a remodeled store in Worthington, Ohio, reflecting continued investment in store quality and the customer experience. Kroger to Unveil Remodeled Store
• Neutral Sentiment: An ice cream brand sold at Kroger and other retailers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The filing concerns the supplier’s ownership and future rather than Kroger’s finances, so the direct impact on KR appears limited. Ice Cream Brand Files for Chapter 11
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s annual food-bank and peanut-butter donation efforts may support community goodwill but should have little direct effect on valuation. Kroger Holds Peanut Butter Drive
• Neutral Sentiment: Cincinnati officials limited protests near Kroger’s headquarters following complaints from a nearby small-business owner. The development reduces immediate disruption but highlights ongoing local tensions. Cincinnati Limits Kroger HQ Protests
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger plans to close 60 stores during 2026. Although closures could improve the portfolio by removing underperforming locations, the scale of the reductions raises concerns about sales, market presence and restructuring costs. Kroger to Shutter 60 Stores
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger faces a proposed $17 million class-action settlement involving pharmacy customers who used insurance for prescriptions. The settlement would create a financial cost and adds legal and reputational risk, though the amount is modest relative to Kroger’s scale. Kroger Pharmacy Settlement
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger agreed to pay $75,000 to resolve an EEOC disability-discrimination and retaliation lawsuit. The payment is financially immaterial but adds to legal and compliance headlines. Kroger EEOC Lawsuit Settlement

Kroger Stock Up 2.7%

KR opened at $57.86 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $57.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is $64.71. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $54.15 and a 1-year high of $76.58. The stock has a market cap of $35.45 billion, a PE ratio of 34.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The company had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.49 earnings per share. The company’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, research analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

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

Kroger Company 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.