CSM Advisors LLC Lowers Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

CSM Advisors LLC trimmed its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 48.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 173,905 shares of the company’s stock after selling 165,408 shares during the quarter. CSM Advisors LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $11,726,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Capitolis Liquid Global Markets LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 3rd quarter worth about $57,146,000. Centiva Capital LP grew its position in Kroger by 146.1% during the 3rd quarter. Centiva Capital LP now owns 10,010 shares of the company’s stock valued at $675,000 after purchasing an additional 5,942 shares during the last quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. increased its stake in Kroger by 33.2% during the 3rd quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 5,608 shares of the company’s stock valued at $378,000 after purchasing an additional 1,399 shares in the last quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. increased its stake in Kroger by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. now owns 214,411 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,453,000 after purchasing an additional 5,217 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brass Tax Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in Kroger by 1.3% in the third quarter. Brass Tax Wealth Management Inc. now owns 21,014 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,417,000 after buying an additional 263 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on KR shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Evercore set a $77.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 price objective (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, March 6th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $70.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, December 29th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.56.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $75.65 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $66.46 and its 200-day moving average price is $66.01. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $58.60 and a 52-week high of $76.58. The company has a market cap of $47.87 billion, a PE ratio of 49.44, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66.

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

Kroger Announces Dividend

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

More 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)

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.