JPMorgan Chase & Co. Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Kroger (NYSE:KR) Stock Price

Kroger (NYSE:KR) had its target price lowered by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $72.00 to $70.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective suggests a potential upside of 8.16% from the company’s current price.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Erste Group Bank cut Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price target on Kroger and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their price target on Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 4th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $74.67.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of KR stock traded up $0.26 during trading on Thursday, hitting $64.72. The company had a trading volume of 1,048,134 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,455,156. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $39.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.42. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $66.96 and its 200 day moving average price is $66.56. Kroger has a one year low of $58.60 and a one year high of $76.58.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kroger

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. lifted its stake in Kroger by 2.7% during the first quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 6,768 shares of the company’s stock worth $490,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Allen Capital Group LLC bought a new stake in Kroger during the first quarter worth $221,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Kroger during the first quarter worth $31,000. FinArc Investments Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth $2,616,000. Finally, Royal Fund Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Kroger by 86.3% in the 1st quarter. Royal Fund Management LLC now owns 50,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,654,000 after acquiring an additional 23,400 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is expanding nationwide digital shelf labels and pairing them with summer promotions like 4X Fuel Points and private-label seasonal products, which could improve pricing flexibility, customer loyalty, and in-store/digital engagement. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company is also leaning into fuel savings with special gas deals, which may help drive store traffic and reinforce its value proposition for shoppers. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary suggests Kroger could still beat earnings estimates again, which may be helping support investor sentiment around the stock. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Shares have recently outperformed a weak market session, showing some relative strength, but the move was not tied to a major new fundamental update. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger is drawing attention for offering free ice cream, limited-edition products, and other promotions, which may help traffic but are more of a near-term marketing lift than a major earnings driver. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The company agreed to a $1.25 million settlement over inaccurate calorie information, adding to legal and reputational concerns around labeling and advertising practices. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Separate coverage raised questions about Kroger facing “difficult decisions” and leadership/strategy challenges, which could pressure sentiment if investors worry about execution. Article Title

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.