Nordea Investment Management AB Acquires 524,768 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Nordea Investment Management AB increased its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 11.2% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 5,204,987 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 524,768 shares during the quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB’s holdings in Kroger were worth $325,728,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Avalon Trust Co bought a new stake in Kroger in the third quarter worth $29,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Kroger during the third quarter valued at $31,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 87.8% in the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 445 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 208 shares in the last quarter. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 490 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 245 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is rolling out Dunkin’ kiosks inside stores (Michigan rollout noted; Houston-area locations also adding kiosks). In-store foodservice tie-ins can boost foot traffic, basket size and convenience positioning. Kroger store in Michigan now has a Dunkin’ kiosk, and more are on the way Houston-area Kroger grocery stores adding Dunkin’ kiosks
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger will carry an exclusive 7Up flavor in 2026—an example of product differentiation and exclusive merchandising that can drive incremental sales and private-label/partner margins. Kroger home to exclusive 7Up flavor in 2026. Here’s what’s coming
• Positive Sentiment: A competitor (longstanding regional chain) is continuing store closures into 2026, which could create market-share opportunities for large, well-capitalized operators like Kroger in affected markets. 111-year-old grocery chain closing more stores in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Local community and CSR activity: Kroger hosted a Shop to Stop Hunger event in Staunton—positive for brand and community relations but limited direct impact on near-term earnings. Community gathers for Shop to Stop Hunger event at Kroger in Staunton
• Neutral Sentiment: Local planning concerns: a new Kroger opening near a Smyrna school raised traffic/safety complaints—possible short-term PR and permitting noise but unlikely material to corporate financials. ‘An accident waiting to happen’: New Kroger opening next to Smyrna school sparks traffic and safety concerns
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive pricing context: a consumer comparison piece contrasts Thrive Market prices with Kroger and Whole Foods—useful for positioning but not an immediate earnings driver. Is Thrive Market cheaper? I compared prices to Kroger and Whole Foods
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger issued a nationwide recall update and customer warnings on certain products—recalls can raise short-term costs, shrink margins and hurt customer trust depending on scope. Kroger nationwide recall update: Customers issued warnings over products
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst sentiment cooled: Seeking Alpha summarized a downgrade to Hold citing limited growth drivers—downgrades can pressure the stock and investor expectations. Kroger: Limited Growth Drivers, Downgraded To Hold
• Negative Sentiment: Local personnel controversy: a former manager alleges he was fired after intervening to protect an elderly coworker from shoplifters—potential reputational risk if escalated. Former Kroger manager in DeKalb says he was fired for protecting elderly co-worker from shoplifters

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on KR shares. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $82.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Evercore set a $77.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Wall Street Zen cut Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, December 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company downgraded Kroger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and cut their target price for the company from $70.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $74.56.

Kroger Trading Down 0.7%

KR opened at $73.25 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $46.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.88, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.62. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $67.79 and its 200-day moving average price is $66.21. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $58.60 and a one year high of $76.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.80.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.14 EPS. Kroger’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

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