Legal & General Group Plc Has $315.26 Million Stock Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

Legal & General Group Plc trimmed its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 2.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,045,745 shares of the company’s stock after selling 147,315 shares during the quarter. Legal & General Group Plc’s holdings in Kroger were worth $315,258,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Kroger by 268.1% in the fourth quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares during the period. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new stake in Kroger in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Avalon Trust Co acquired a new stake in Kroger in the third quarter worth $29,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger in the third quarter worth $31,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Stock Down 3.9%

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $64.64 on Wednesday. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $58.60 and a 1 year high of $76.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $39.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $69.18 and a 200-day moving average price of $66.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.42.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.14 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 91.50%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on KR shares. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 4th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Erste Group Bank cut shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $74.87.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Negative Sentiment: Investors are reacting to reports that Kroger plans to cut prices on thousands of items to stay competitive with Walmart, Costco and other grocers. While lower prices may help drive traffic and market share, they could also squeeze margins in the near term. Kroger plans to cut prices on thousands of items to boost competitiveness, Bloomberg report says
• Negative Sentiment: Sentiment also weakened after Kroger announced the retirement of Tim Massa, its Executive Vice President and Chief Associate Experience Officer, adding another leadership change at a time when the company is trying to execute on pricing and operational initiatives. Kroger announces retirement of Tim Massa, Executive Vice President and Chief Associate Experience Officer
• Negative Sentiment: Separately, a recall of Kroger-branded croutons in 17 states over possible salmonella contamination could weigh on investor confidence by raising food-safety and brand-reputation concerns. Kroger croutons recalled in 17 states over possible salmonella contamination
• Negative Sentiment: A market note from Zacks highlighted that KR fell despite broader market gains, reinforcing the view that investors are rotating out of the stock amid pricing-pressure worries. Kroger (KR) Stock Drops Despite Market Gains: Important Facts to Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger also continued to signal a push to strengthen its brand and community presence, including a NASCAR-themed event and broader marketing efforts, which are unlikely to move the stock much on their own. Kroger hosting “Team Tune-Up” event Friday in Lebanon, featuring NASCAR driver Ryan Preece

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.