The Kroger Co. $KR Shares Purchased by Howard Capital Management LLC

Howard Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 64.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 118,272 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 46,206 shares during the quarter. Howard Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $6,933,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of KR. SGL Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Kroger in the second quarter valued at about $2,764,000. Amundi boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 18.3% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,942,230 shares of the company’s stock worth $218,912,000 after acquiring an additional 610,039 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $76,633,000. Quantitative Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,527,000. Finally, OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,141,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on KR. Wall Street Zen downgraded Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 20th. Roth Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $73.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Melius Research set a $80.00 target price on Kroger and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $57.00 target price (down from $61.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $69.82.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Kroger news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total transaction of $4,425,090.70. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 175,233 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,636,643.10. This represents a 29.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Price Performance

KR traded up $0.82 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $63.53. 6,516,083 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,142,802. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $54.15 and a 1-year high of $76.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $37.52 billion, a PE ratio of 34.53, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.31. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $58.86 and its 200 day moving average price is $61.69.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.04. Kroger had a net margin of 0.73% and a return on equity of 49.90%. The business had revenue of $34.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.64 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.04 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.19 EPS for the current fiscal 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 $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 84.78%.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results and outlook supported the stock. Kroger reported adjusted earnings of $1.09 per share on approximately $34.6 billion in sales, ahead of earnings expectations, while reaffirming fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $5.10–$5.30. Management also cited improving pharmacy margins, e-commerce profitability, retail-media growth and additional cost savings. Kroger Gains as Investors Focus on Earnings Beat and Stable Profit Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate restructuring could improve profitability. Kroger plans to eliminate roughly 3,000 corporate positions over three years while expanding its use of artificial intelligence. The company says the savings can help fund lower prices, potentially strengthening its competitive position and margins. An investor day scheduled for October 20 could provide more detail on the strategy. Kroger cites AI efficiency push as it cuts corporate jobs
• Positive Sentiment: Seasonal demand and market share remain favorable. Kroger expects to sell 25 million pounds of Halloween candy, highlighting the potential for seasonal sales momentum. Separately, the grocer continues to lead the Central Ohio grocery market. Kroger is America’s candy destination

Kroger 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.