The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) to Issue $0.35 Quarterly Dividend

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) declared a quarterly dividend on Friday, January 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a dividend of 0.35 per share on Sunday, March 1st. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th.

Kroger has increased its dividend by an average of 0.2%per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 19 years. Kroger has a dividend payout ratio of 27.1% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect Kroger to earn $4.72 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.40 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 29.7%.

Kroger Stock Up 1.0%

KR traded up $0.68 on Wednesday, hitting $68.70. The company had a trading volume of 2,312,698 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,039,152. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 63.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.88. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $63.09 and a 200-day moving average price of $66.12. Kroger has a 12-month low of $58.60 and a 12-month high of $74.90.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $33.86 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.27 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.54% and a return on equity of 38.06%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.98 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. Analysts predict that Kroger will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on KR. BMO Capital Markets reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price target for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 5th. Morgan Stanley set a $67.00 target price on Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.07.

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.