Hennessy Advisors Inc. Has $2.26 Million Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Hennessy Advisors Inc. decreased its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 74.5% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 40,700 shares of the company’s stock after selling 119,162 shares during the period. Hennessy Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Kroger were worth $2,260,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. now owns 3,537 shares of the company’s stock valued at $221,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. PFG Investments LLC grew its position in Kroger by 3.3% during the 1st quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 4,899 shares of the company’s stock worth $354,000 after acquiring an additional 157 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Kroger by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 10,747 shares of the company’s stock valued at $674,000 after buying an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Stephens Inc. AR raised its stake 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 acquiring an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ROI Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in Kroger by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. ROI Financial Advisors LLC now owns 8,943 shares of the company’s stock worth $647,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger announced its 2026 Wellness Tour, with September in-store and community events intended to increase customer engagement and reinforce the company’s health-and-wellness offerings. The initiative is strategically positive, though its near-term financial impact is likely limited. Kroger Wellness Tour announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity, with purchases more than double the typical daily volume, suggests increased bullish speculative interest. However, options activity does not guarantee sustained buying in the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Murray’s Cheese, a Kroger brand, expanded its premium cave-aged collection to select Harris Teeter stores in Charlotte. The launch supports product differentiation and potentially higher-margin sales but is unlikely to materially affect companywide results. Murray’s Cheese Harris Teeter launch
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s recent earnings showed revenue growth and earnings ahead of the prior-year period, but earnings per share narrowly missed estimates. Management’s fiscal-year EPS guidance remains a key factor for investors assessing whether the current valuation is justified.
• Negative Sentiment: Industry data indicated Kroger’s foot traffic declined in July as the broader supermarket sector also struggled. Persistent traffic weakness could pressure comparable sales and raise concerns about consumer demand. Kroger July foot traffic report
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger agreed to pay $17 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging prescription-drug pricing practices. The cash cost is manageable relative to Kroger’s size, but the settlement adds legal expense and reputational risk. Kroger prescription pricing settlement
• Negative Sentiment: Sony Music sued Kroger over alleged unauthorized use of songs in social-media advertising, creating another potential legal liability. The financial impact is uncertain, but the lawsuit adds to investor concerns following the pharmacy settlement. Sony Music lawsuit against Kroger

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of KR opened at $57.73 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $35.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.96, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.43. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $54.15 and a 1-year high of $76.58. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $57.63 and its 200 day simple moving average is $64.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The business’s revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.49 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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 dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This is a boost from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger’s payout ratio is presently 91.76%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently commented on KR. Barclays set a $61.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $78.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Citigroup reduced their price target on Kroger from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $80.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $72.00.

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.