OLD National Bancorp IN Decreases Stock Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

OLD National Bancorp IN lowered its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 66.4% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 42,948 shares of the company’s stock after selling 84,984 shares during the quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN’s holdings in Kroger were worth $3,108,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in KR. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. raised its position in shares of Kroger by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. now owns 3,537 shares of the company’s stock valued at $221,000 after buying an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in Kroger by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 10,747 shares of the company’s stock worth $674,000 after acquiring an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Stephens Inc. AR grew its position in 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 acquiring an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC increased its stake in Kroger by 3.6% during the fourth quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC now owns 5,348 shares of the company’s stock worth $342,000 after acquiring an additional 188 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zions Bancorporation National Association UT increased its stake in Kroger by 59.6% during the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 509 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on KR. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 price objective (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 price target on Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $71.94.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger raised its quarterly dividend by 11% to $0.39 per share, signaling confidence in cash flow and extending its record of annual dividend increases. Kroger’s Board of Directors Raises Quarterly Dividend by 11%
• Positive Sentiment: The company expanded its rewards program so shoppers can now redeem points for dollars off groceries in-store and online, not just fuel discounts, which could help boost customer retention and spending frequency. Kroger Rewards Program Expands with New Ways to Save
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger also announced additional loyalty-program enhancements and promotional tie-ins, including fuel points being usable for groceries, reinforcing its value proposition at a time when consumers remain price-sensitive. Kroger expands loyalty program: What you need to know
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger updated board leadership and director compensation, but the move appears administrative and is unlikely to materially affect near-term fundamentals. Kroger Updates Board Leadership Role and Director Compensation
• Neutral Sentiment: Management is leaning into seasonal merchandising and marketing around July 4th, which supports sales but is not a major new catalyst. Kroger Fires Up Fourth of July Celebrations with Trending “Flight” Food Experiences
• Negative Sentiment: A recalled chicken product over allergens is a consumer-safety issue that could create reputational noise, though the direct financial impact looks limited. Kroger, Fred Meyer chicken recalled over allergens

Kroger Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $57.84 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $55.60 and a 1 year high of $76.58. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $64.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $66.06. The company has a market cap of $35.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.02, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.39.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The business had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.49 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This is an increase from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 91.76%.

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.