DoubleLine ETF Adviser LP Invests $2.20 Million in The Kroger Co. $KR

DoubleLine ETF Adviser LP acquired a new stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 32,597 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,197,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Avalon Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 87.8% during the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 445 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 208 shares during the period. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the second quarter worth approximately $33,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Kroger by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 490 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 245 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their price objective on shares of Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 target price (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, March 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $82.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.56.

Key Kroger News

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 Price Performance

KR stock opened at $75.65 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $47.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.44, a P/E/G ratio of 2.01 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. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $66.46 and a 200 day simple moving average of $66.01. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $58.60 and a 1 year high of $76.58.

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

Kroger Announces Dividend

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

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.