The Kroger Co. (KR) to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.35 on June 1st

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of 0.35 per share on Monday, June 1st. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th.

Kroger has increased its dividend by an average of 0.1%per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 19 years. Kroger has a payout ratio of 27.1% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities 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 0.9%

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $75.65 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $66.46 and its 200 day moving average is $66.03. Kroger has a one year low of $58.60 and a one year high of $76.58. The firm has a market cap of $47.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.44, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.42.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.10 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.14 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Kroger will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently weighed in on KR shares. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 target price for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Evercore set a $77.00 target price on Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $70.00 price target (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, December 5th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.56.

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.