Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec Buys New Shares in The Kroger Co. $KR

Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec bought a new position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund bought 143,022 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,942,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of KR. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the second quarter valued at about $3,016,956,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at about $470,561,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $284,501,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in Kroger in the second quarter worth approximately $195,234,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in Kroger in the second quarter valued at approximately $119,723,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Kroger Trading Up 1.4%

NYSE KR opened at $57.73 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.96, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.43. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $57.63 and a 200 day simple moving average of $64.45. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $54.15 and a 12 month high of $76.58. 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 posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share (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 firm had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $45.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.49 earnings per share. Kroger’s revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared 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 yield of 2.7%. This is a boost from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 91.76%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KR has been the subject of several recent research reports. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $82.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, June 19th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $71.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $72.00.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger announced its 2026 Wellness Tour, with September in-store and community events intended to increase customer engagement and reinforce the company’s health-and-wellness offerings. The initiative is strategically positive, though its near-term financial impact is likely limited. Kroger Wellness Tour announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity, with purchases more than double the typical daily volume, suggests increased bullish speculative interest. However, options activity does not guarantee sustained buying in the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Murray’s Cheese, a Kroger brand, expanded its premium cave-aged collection to select Harris Teeter stores in Charlotte. The launch supports product differentiation and potentially higher-margin sales but is unlikely to materially affect companywide results. Murray’s Cheese Harris Teeter launch
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s recent earnings showed revenue growth and earnings ahead of the prior-year period, but earnings per share narrowly missed estimates. Management’s fiscal-year EPS guidance remains a key factor for investors assessing whether the current valuation is justified.
• Negative Sentiment: Industry data indicated Kroger’s foot traffic declined in July as the broader supermarket sector also struggled. Persistent traffic weakness could pressure comparable sales and raise concerns about consumer demand. Kroger July foot traffic report
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger agreed to pay $17 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging prescription-drug pricing practices. The cash cost is manageable relative to Kroger’s size, but the settlement adds legal expense and reputational risk. Kroger prescription pricing settlement
• Negative Sentiment: Sony Music sued Kroger over alleged unauthorized use of songs in social-media advertising, creating another potential legal liability. The financial impact is uncertain, but the lawsuit adds to investor concerns following the pharmacy settlement. Sony Music lawsuit against Kroger

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.