Sanctuary Advisors LLC Invests $5.51 Million in The Kroger Co. $KR

Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 99,321 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,515,000.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in KR. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new position in Kroger during the second quarter valued at $48,766,000. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter worth $849,000. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter worth about $8,858,000. Haverford Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 2nd quarter valued at about $301,000. Finally, Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $203,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Trading Up 2.0%

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $59.06 on Tuesday. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $54.15 and a 12-month high of $76.58. The company has a market capitalization of $36.18 billion, a PE ratio of 34.74, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.43. The business has a 50 day moving average of $57.78 and a two-hundred day moving average of $64.69. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The firm had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $45.59 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.49 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.21 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be given a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. This is a positive change from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 91.76%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on KR. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $80.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Weiss Ratings lowered Kroger from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $72.00.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Automation may improve operations: Kroger is rolling out inventory robots, a move that could increase in-stock availability, reduce labor-intensive inventory work and support margins over time. Kroger rolls out inventory robots
• Positive Sentiment: Grocery and prescription delivery expansion: Kroger and Instacart launched a service allowing customers to order groceries and eligible prescriptions together through Kroger’s websites and apps. The offering is available across nearly all Kroger banners, including Fred Meyer, Ralphs and Harris Teeter, potentially increasing digital engagement, order frequency and customer retention. Kroger Customers Can Shop for Groceries and Prescriptions in a Single Order
• Positive Sentiment: Pharmacy product test: Promino secured a test of its Rejuvenate Muscle Health product in 662 Kroger pharmacies. While the financial impact on Kroger is not disclosed, the program could modestly broaden pharmacy offerings and support related customer traffic. Promino Secures 662-Store Kroger Pharmacy Test

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.