Capital Wealth Planning LLC Makes New $3.60 Million Investment in The Kroger Co. $KR

Capital Wealth Planning LLC bought a new stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 53,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,602,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth about $518,267,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH increased its position in Kroger by 66.6% in the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 5,255,084 shares of the company’s stock valued at $354,245,000 after acquiring an additional 2,100,444 shares in the last quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC increased its position in Kroger by 299.6% in the 2nd quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 2,420,495 shares of the company’s stock valued at $173,622,000 after acquiring an additional 1,814,721 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 95.6% in the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 2,434,663 shares of the company’s stock worth $174,638,000 after acquiring an additional 1,190,127 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the second quarter worth about $65,450,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Kroger Trading Up 0.9%

KR opened at $75.65 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.42. The company has a market cap of $47.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.62. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $66.46 and a 200 day simple moving average of $66.03. The Kroger Co. has a fifty-two week low of $58.60 and a fifty-two week high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a net margin of 0.69% and a return on equity of 41.08%. The business had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.14 earnings per share. Kroger’s revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 91.50%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on KR. Barclays reissued a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $70.00 price objective (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, December 5th. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 price objective (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $82.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Kroger currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $74.56.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger expanded access to Eli Lilly’s Zepbound® KwikPen at participating Kroger pharmacies, which can drive pharmacy revenue, strengthen Kroger’s healthcare positioning and attract higher-margin prescription sales (and the company will honor manufacturer savings programs for eligible patients). Kroger Brings Zepbound® KwikPen to Retail Pharmacy
• Positive Sentiment: Media coverage noting the pharmacy rollout and investor reaction contributed to shares edging up; the Benzinga note flags near-term investor interest tied to the Zepbound availability. Kroger Shares Rise As Pharmacies Add Eli Lilly’s Zepbound KwikPen
• Positive Sentiment: KR’s technical/momentum profile improved after a Relative Strength rating lift to 82, which can attract momentum and technical-focused buyers. Kroger Stock Gets Relative Strength Rating Lift To 82
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share, supporting income investors and signaling confidence in cash flow (ex-dividend in May; paid June 1). Dividend growth history may underpin valuation support. Kroger’s Board of Directors Declares Quarterly Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism and post-earnings positioning continued to lift sentiment—notes point to EPS beats, FY2026 guidance and several price-target increases that have helped push shares higher after the March 5 results. Kroger shares rise 3.9% as post-earnings optimism and price-target hikes build
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger hit an all-time intraday high recently, reflecting momentum; while bullish, this can also invite short-term profit-taking. Kroger stock reaches all-time high at 74.92 USD
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger plans to close about 50 Little Clinics — a cost-cutting/reshaping move that may reduce near-term healthcare footprint and could signal lower near-term revenue from those locations. Investors may view this as a strategic tradeoff. Kroger plans to shutter 50 Little Clinics
• Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical risks from the Iran war (Strait of Hormuz disruptions) could push up supply-chain costs and retail prices, pressuring margins for grocers including Kroger if input costs rise or supply chains tighten. This is an industry-level headwind with uncertain timing. How the Iran war could start to impact U.S. retail prices
• Negative Sentiment: A recent Seeking Alpha piece argued Kroger may be fairly valued after a rally and flagged a downgrade — a reminder some analysts see less upside after the run-up, which can cap near-term gains. Kroger: Strong E-commerce Growth, But Fairly Valued After Rally (Downgrade)

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.