Iams Wealth Management LLC Purchases New Position in The Kroger Co. $KR

Iams Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 9,907 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $581,000.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the second quarter worth $3,016,956,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at $284,501,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at $195,234,000. Nykredit A S acquired a new position in Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at $157,533,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG bought a new position in Kroger in the 2nd quarter worth $119,723,000. 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’s planned elimination of approximately 3,000 corporate positions over three years is intended to reduce expenses, fund lower prices and support investments in AI, pharmacy margins, e-commerce and retail media. Investors could view the restructuring as a potential profitability catalyst if savings are reinvested effectively. Kroger AI efficiency push and corporate job cuts
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger continues to hold a leading position in the Central Ohio grocery market, supporting the investment case that its scale and customer base can defend sales against Aldi and other discount competitors. Kroger Central Ohio grocery market leadership
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts describe KR as undervalued, citing cost reductions and the potential for an operational turnaround. Its latest quarterly results also exceeded EPS expectations, while full-year guidance was maintained. Kroger valuation and turnaround analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s October 20 investor day could provide additional detail on AI savings, pricing strategy, capital allocation and the company’s longer-term turnaround plan.
• Negative Sentiment: Albertsons is seeking more than $8 billion in damages related to the failed merger, creating potentially significant legal and financial uncertainty for Kroger. Albertsons lawsuit against Kroger
• Negative Sentiment: Other coverage warns that slowing sales and a premium earnings multiple may limit upside, particularly if cost savings do not translate into stronger customer traffic or margins. Kroger slowing sales and valuation concerns
• Negative Sentiment: The scale of the layoffs raises execution and morale risks, while recent institutional selling and insider sales add another cautious signal for investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total transaction of $4,425,090.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 175,233 shares in the company, valued at $10,636,643.10. This represents a 29.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Kroger Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of KR stock opened at $62.66 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $54.15 and a 12 month high of $76.58. The firm has a market cap of $37.01 billion, a PE ratio of 12.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.36. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $58.72 and a 200-day moving average of $61.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $34.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.64 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 49.90% and a net margin of 0.73%. Kroger’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.04 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.19 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 84.78%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on KR shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $68.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating and set a $57.00 price target (down from $61.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $82.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, June 19th. Finally, Evercore set a $70.00 price objective on Kroger in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $69.82.

Kroger Company Profile

The Kroger Co is a U.S.-based food and consumer goods retailer headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, the company has grown into one of the largest supermarket operators in the United States.

Kroger operates supermarkets, multi-department stores, marketplace-format stores, pharmacies and fuel centers. Its stores sell groceries, fresh produce, meat, seafood, bakery and deli products, household essentials, health and beauty items, and general merchandise. The company also offers digital shopping, pickup and delivery services, loyalty programs, and a range of private-label products.

The company serves customers across numerous U.S.