Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Acquires 45,964 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 123.7% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 83,118 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 45,964 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Kroger were worth $4,872,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. First Command Advisory Services Inc. grew its stake in Kroger by 128.1% in the 3rd quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 3,754 shares of the company’s stock valued at $220,000 after purchasing an additional 2,108 shares during the period. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $4,760,000. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 85.4% in the third quarter. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. now owns 27,071 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,587,000 after acquiring an additional 12,466 shares during the period. Lido Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Kroger by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 16,294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $955,000 after buying an additional 169 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Keybank National Association OH increased its position in shares of Kroger by 47.2% during the third quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 33,508 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,964,000 after buying an additional 10,752 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Latest Kroger News

Investors following KR have been watching these news items:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger plans a roughly $40 million store in a fast-growing North Texas city, adding capacity in a market with potential for population-driven demand. Kroger to open $40M store in nation’s fifth-fastest-growing city
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger Atlanta opened a $39 million Marketplace in Locust Grove, while another report notes a fourth new store in central Ohio since 2024. These investments support expansion, though their individual effect on companywide results is likely limited. Kroger Atlanta Opens $39M Marketplace In Locust Grove Kroger opens fourth new store in central Ohio since 2024
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary describes Kroger’s grocery-market position and dividend-growth potential, but these are investor analyses rather than new company announcements. They may inform long-term views without establishing a fresh near-term catalyst. Albertsons deal or no deal: Why Kroger’s grocery moat is winning If You Invest $1,200 a year in Kroger Stock, Here’s the Dividend Income It Could Generate Over 20 Years

Insider Activity

In other Kroger news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total value 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Price Performance

KR opened at $69.81 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $41.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.36. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $62.54 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $63.84. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $54.15 and a 52-week high of $76.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 0.70.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $34.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.64 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 49.90% and a net margin of 0.73%. Kroger’s revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.04 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 5.20 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 16th. Kroger’s payout ratio is currently 84.78%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on KR shares. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $68.00 target price (up from $66.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Wells Fargo & Company set a $60.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Melius Research set a $80.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded shares of Kroger from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $72.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $70.35.

About Kroger

The Kroger Co. is a U.S. grocery retailer founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1883 by Bernard Kroger. It operates supermarkets and other grocery formats across the United States under banners including Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, King Soopers, and Smith’s. Alongside groceries and household essentials, Kroger stores offer services such as pharmacies and fuel centers. The company also sells products under its own private-label brands and produces many of those items through its food manufacturing operations.