9,409 Shares in The Kroger Co. $KR Acquired by Roman Butler Fullerton & Co.

Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. acquired a new stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm acquired 9,409 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $558,000.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Kroger in the 1st quarter worth about $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Price Performance

NYSE KR opened at $56.69 on Monday. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $54.15 and a one year high of $76.58. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $58.60 and a 200 day moving average of $64.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.79. The company has a market capitalization of $34.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.35, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.43.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.01). The company 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%. Kroger’s revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.49 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business 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. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. This is a positive change from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Kroger’s payout ratio is currently 91.76%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Kroger from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $72.00.

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger appointed former Jet.com and Walmart executive Nate Faust as its first chief e-commerce officer. His mandate includes simplifying the digital business, improving supply-chain efficiency and strengthening online grocery fulfillment—initiatives that could improve growth and margins over time. What Could Kroger Gain From Its New Ecommerce Chief And Texas Fresh Push?
• Positive Sentiment: BrightFarms expanded locally grown greenhouse greens into more than 1,000 Kroger stores in the Dallas area, giving the company additional fresh-produce offerings and a potential way to attract shoppers. Kroger is also planning a new Marketplace store in Northern Kentucky. Kroger Marketplace coming to NKY amid Publix threat
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger said it will hold its second-quarter 2026 earnings call on September 11. The announcement provides a date for investors to assess sales trends, traffic, e-commerce progress and the company’s outlook, but contains no new financial information. Kroger Announces Second Quarter Conference Call with Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Reports indicate Kroger has closed at least 39 stores across nine banners and plans to shutter 60 locations as part of a nationwide overhaul. Closures may reduce near-term sales and highlight pressure on underperforming stores, even if they eventually lower costs. Major Supermarket Chain Closures
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger’s customer traffic reportedly ranked 13th among 16 retailers in July and has been declining, raising concerns about market-share losses to Walmart, Publix and other competitors. Analysts and industry observers also described the company’s e-commerce operation as overly complex, increasing execution risk for the new digital chief. Kroger’s traffic has been declining
• Negative Sentiment: A recall involving products sold at Kroger and other retailers over a salmonella outbreak adds a potential reputational and operational risk, although the reported information does not quantify any financial impact. Kroger Products Recalled Over Salmonella Outbreak

Kroger 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.