New York State Teachers Retirement System Cuts Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

New York State Teachers Retirement System trimmed its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 4.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 593,529 shares of the company’s stock after selling 27,138 shares during the quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System’s holdings in Kroger were worth $37,084,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 268.1% during the fourth quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 303 shares in the last quarter. Avalon Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 100.0% during the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 490 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 245 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Kroger Stock Performance

NYSE:KR opened at $67.80 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $41.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.31, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $70.38 and a 200 day moving average price of $66.82. The Kroger Co. has a fifty-two week low of $58.60 and a fifty-two week high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.10 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.69% and a return on equity of 41.08%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.14 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 91.50%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Barclays reaffirmed a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 price target (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, March 6th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Kroger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $70.00 to $68.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Kroger has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $74.56.

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.