Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. Lowers Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. decreased its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 3.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 278,067 shares of the company’s stock after selling 8,717 shares during the quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Kroger were worth $20,170,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. raised its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. PFG Investments LLC increased its position in Kroger by 3.3% during the 1st quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 4,899 shares of the company’s stock valued at $354,000 after purchasing an additional 157 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in Kroger by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 10,747 shares of the company’s stock valued at $674,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 17,995 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,124,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Phillips Wealth Planners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC now owns 5,348 shares of the company’s stock valued at $342,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on KR shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 20th. Erste Group Bank lowered Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. UBS Group set a $63.00 target price on Kroger and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced 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. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $72.00.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is moving ahead with its $1.65 billion Giant Eagle deal, which could expand its footprint and strengthen scale in key markets. Kroger progresses on USD 1.65 billion deal to acquire Giant Eagle
• Positive Sentiment: The company is also rolling out new in-store wine shops and tasting bars at 147 locations, a sign Kroger is investing in higher-margin customer experiences and store upgrades. Kroger to upgrade wine selection at 147 in-store shops, including NKY
• Neutral Sentiment: Media reports say Kroger is likely to divest some Giant Eagle stores in Columbus as part of the merger process, which appears to be a routine regulatory step rather than a fundamental setback. Kroger likely to sell some Giant Eagle stores in Columbus
• Neutral Sentiment: Another report says Kroger is walking back its cage-free egg pledge, which could reduce costs but may also draw attention from shoppers and activists. Kroger walks back its cage-free egg pledge | Exclusive
• Neutral Sentiment: Other coverage centered on the merger, store sales, and Kroger’s long-term positioning, but did not add materially new financial details. 5 things to know about the Kroger-Giant Eagle deal

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $59.88 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.23, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $62.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $65.77. The Kroger Co. has a 52 week low of $54.15 and a 52 week high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The company had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $45.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.49 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This is a boost from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 82.35%.

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.