The Kroger Co. $KR Stock Holdings Cut by Kesler Norman & Wride LLC

Kesler Norman & Wride LLC reduced its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 24.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 264,882 shares of the company’s stock after selling 83,636 shares during the period. Kroger makes up approximately 2.8% of Kesler Norman & Wride LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest position. Kesler Norman & Wride LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $16,550,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Calton & Associates Inc. acquired a new position in Kroger during the 4th quarter worth about $324,000. Root Financial Partners LLC lifted its stake in Kroger by 11.5% during the 4th quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 1,904 shares of the company’s stock worth $119,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. SCS Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Kroger by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. SCS Capital Management LLC now owns 90,833 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,675,000 after acquiring an additional 685 shares in the last quarter. Lcnb Corp lifted its stake in Kroger by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Lcnb Corp now owns 17,710 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,107,000 after acquiring an additional 273 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mitchell Capital Management Co. lifted its stake in Kroger by 59.9% during the 4th quarter. Mitchell Capital Management Co. now owns 72,272 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,516,000 after acquiring an additional 27,073 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $61.58 on Wednesday. The Kroger Co. has a twelve month low of $58.60 and a twelve month high of $76.58. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $68.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $66.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The stock has a market cap of $37.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.42.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The business had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.10 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.14 EPS. The company’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, research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Erste Group Bank downgraded Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, March 27th. Barclays restated a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and set a $70.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.87.

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.