Swedbank AB Sells 11,768 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Swedbank AB trimmed its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 2.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 406,634 shares of the company’s stock after selling 11,768 shares during the quarter. Swedbank AB’s holdings in Kroger were worth $25,406,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new position in Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Kroger by 268.1% in the fourth quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. Avalon Trust Co bought a new position in Kroger in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new position in Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Kroger in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $67.32 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $41.24 billion, a PE ratio of 44.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.46. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $69.40 and its 200-day moving average is $66.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.80. The Kroger Co. has a 52 week low of $58.60 and a 52 week high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.69% and a return on equity of 41.08%. Kroger’s revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.14 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Kroger’s payout ratio is presently 91.50%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on KR shares. Erste Group Bank cut shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price objective on shares of Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. Finally, Barclays restated a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Eight 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, Kroger has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.87.

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.