Cibc World Market Inc. Acquires Shares of 278,807 The Kroger Co. $KR

Cibc World Market Inc. acquired a new position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm acquired 278,807 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,482,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of KR. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Kroger in the second quarter worth about $3,016,956,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $470,561,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $195,234,000. Deutsche Bank AG bought a new position in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $119,723,000. Finally, Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Kroger by 299.6% in the 2nd quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 2,420,495 shares of the company’s stock worth $173,622,000 after acquiring an additional 1,814,721 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is rolling out inventory robots, a move that could improve in-store efficiency, reduce labor requirements and help keep products available. The financial benefit is not yet quantified. Kroger rolls out inventory robots
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger and Instacart launched single-order delivery for groceries and eligible prescriptions through Kroger’s websites and apps, including at Fred Meyer, Ralphs and Harris Teeter. The service may increase convenience, digital engagement and order frequency, although delivery costs and customer adoption will determine its earnings impact. Kroger Customers Can Shop for Groceries and Prescriptions in a Single Order
• Positive Sentiment: Promino secured a 662-store Kroger pharmacy test for its Rejuvenate Muscle Health product. The pilot could support pharmacy traffic and ancillary sales, but it is unlikely to materially affect Kroger’s results unless expanded. Promino Secures 662-Store Kroger Pharmacy Test
• Neutral Sentiment: A recall covers roughly 40,000 bottles of eye drops sold at Kroger and other retailers. The product was not exclusive to Kroger, so the direct financial impact may be limited, but recalls can create temporary operational and reputational concerns. Eye-drop recall coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger agreed to a $17 million settlement resolving claims that pharmacy customers were overcharged copayments. The payment is manageable relative to Kroger’s size, but the expense and allegations of unfair pricing could weigh on sentiment toward its pharmacy business. Kroger must pay $17 million settlement

Kroger Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $59.06 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.39. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $54.15 and a 1-year high of $76.58. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $57.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $64.69. The company has a market capitalization of $36.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.74, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.43.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted 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). Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The company had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.59 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.49 EPS. Kroger’s revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. This is a positive change from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Kroger’s payout ratio is 91.76%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

KR has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group set a $63.00 price target on Kroger and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $78.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 20th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Kroger from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $72.00.

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.