The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Acquired by Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 123.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 83,118 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 45,964 shares during the quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Kroger were worth $4,872,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. First Command Advisory Services Inc. increased its holdings in Kroger by 128.1% during the 3rd quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 3,754 shares of the company’s stock worth $220,000 after purchasing an additional 2,108 shares in the last quarter. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $4,760,000. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. lifted its stake in Kroger by 85.4% in the third quarter. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. now owns 27,071 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,587,000 after acquiring an additional 12,466 shares during the last quarter. Lido Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 16,294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $955,000 after purchasing an additional 169 shares during the period. Finally, Keybank National Association OH raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 47.2% in the 3rd quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 33,508 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,964,000 after purchasing an additional 10,752 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on KR shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Melius Research set a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. Deutsche Bank reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $70.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Evercore set a $70.00 target price on Kroger in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group dropped their price objective on Kroger from $78.00 to $75.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $70.35.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kroger

In related news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total transaction of $4,425,090.70. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 175,233 shares in the company, valued at $10,636,643.10. The trade was a 29.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.41% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are a few of the latest headlines about KR:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger plans a roughly $40 million store in a fast-growing North Texas city, adding capacity in a market with potential for population-driven demand. Kroger to open $40M store in nation’s fifth-fastest-growing city
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger Atlanta opened a $39 million Marketplace in Locust Grove, while another report notes a fourth new store in central Ohio since 2024. These investments support expansion, though their individual effect on companywide results is likely limited. Kroger Atlanta Opens $39M Marketplace In Locust Grove Kroger opens fourth new store in central Ohio since 2024
• Neutral Sentiment: A report says Kroger will close all stores for 24 hours next month. The planned one-day closure may affect shopping schedules, but the headline does not indicate a lasting financial impact. Grocery giant Kroger gives go-ahead to shut down all 1,233 stores for 24 hours next month

Kroger Price Performance

KR stock opened at $69.81 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $62.54 and a 200-day moving average price of $63.84. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $54.15 and a 52-week high of $76.58. The company has a market capitalization of $41.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.90, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 0.70.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.04. Kroger had a return on equity of 49.90% and a net margin of 0.73%. The company had revenue of $34.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.64 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.04 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.20 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 84.78%.

Kroger Company Profile

The Kroger Co. is a U.S. grocery retailer founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1883 by Bernard Kroger. It operates supermarkets and other grocery formats across the United States under banners including Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, King Soopers, and Smith’s. Alongside groceries and household essentials, Kroger stores offer services such as pharmacies and fuel centers. The company also sells products under its own private-label brands and produces many of those items through its food manufacturing operations.