Horizon Investments LLC Grows Stock Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Horizon Investments LLC raised its position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 40.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 46,379 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 13,356 shares during the period. Horizon Investments LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $2,898,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC raised its position in 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 purchasing an additional 303 shares in the last quarter. Avalon Trust Co purchased a new stake in Kroger during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its position in 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 purchasing an additional 245 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $67.49 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $70.38 and its 200-day moving average price is $66.80. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $58.60 and a 12-month high of $76.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $41.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66.

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

Kroger Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on KR shares. Wells Fargo & Company cut Kroger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $70.00 to $68.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 price objective (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $74.56.

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.