Marietta Investment Partners LLC Lowers Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Marietta Investment Partners LLC lessened its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 53.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 51,681 shares of the company’s stock after selling 59,088 shares during the period. Marietta Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $3,229,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Stephens Inc. AR raised its position in shares of Kroger by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 17,995 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,124,000 after buying an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC raised its position in shares of Kroger by 3.6% in the fourth quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC now owns 5,348 shares of the company’s stock worth $342,000 after buying an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Kroger by 3.0% in the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 6,568 shares of the company’s stock worth $471,000 after buying an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI raised its position in shares of Kroger by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI now owns 15,756 shares of the company’s stock worth $984,000 after buying an additional 195 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its position in shares of Kroger by 17.4% in the third quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 1,328 shares of the company’s stock worth $90,000 after buying an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger announced a groundbreaking for a new Nicholasville store, signaling continued expansion and capital investment in its retail footprint. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger Health said it is convening industry leaders at the Nourishing Change conference, reinforcing the company’s push into healthcare-adjacent services and wellness. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger continues to highlight its broader role in health and nutrition, which could help differentiate the brand over time. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s digital price-tag rollout is now nearly companywide, a technology update that could improve pricing efficiency but has also drawn controversy. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of Kroger-owned banners and bagger competitions is largely brand-related and unlikely to materially affect the stock. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger agreed to a federal Clean Air Act settlement that includes about $100 million in refrigeration fixes and a fine, increasing costs and regulatory scrutiny. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Recall headlines involving frozen foods and frozen pizza sold at Kroger may weigh on sentiment by raising food-safety concerns. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: A separate report says Kroger will spend heavily on refrigerator fixes and pay a fine, reinforcing the margin and cash-flow impact of the settlement. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger is also featured in recall coverage for salmonella risk on frozen pizza and branded products, adding another short-term overhang. Article Title

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday. Wall Street Zen raised Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 4th. Erste Group Bank cut Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. BMO Capital Markets reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $70.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $80.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $74.73.

Kroger Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $61.14 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $67.85 and its 200-day moving average price is $66.68. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $58.60 and a 12-month high of $76.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $37.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The firm had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.10 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.14 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 91.50%.

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.