Voya Investment Management LLC Sells 31,220 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

Voya Investment Management LLC reduced its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 17.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 150,117 shares of the company’s stock after selling 31,220 shares during the period. Voya Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $10,119,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of KR. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 6,840.0% during the second quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 347 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares during the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Rossby Financial LCC bought a new position in Kroger during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC raised its stake in Kroger by 10,425.0% during the second quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 421 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 417 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its stake in Kroger by 87.8% during the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 445 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 208 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: The Board approved an incremental $2.0 billion share?repurchase authorization, increasing the company’s available buyback firepower to roughly $2.9 billion. That signals capital-return focus and can support the share price by reducing float and demonstrating management confidence. Kroger’s Board of Directors Approves Additional $2.0 Billion Share Repurchase Authorization
• Positive Sentiment: Media coverage highlights Kroger’s active buybacks as management continues repurchases even while the stock has been underperforming recently — a catalyst investors often view as shareholder-friendly and supportive of near?term EPS. Kroger Board Boosts Stock-Buyback Program by $2 Billion
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple consumer?facing articles outline Kroger holiday hours (Christmas Eve/Day) and store openings — operational details that are useful for consumers but unlikely to materially change fundamentals. Grocery stores open on Christmas Eve: Walmart, Kroger, Costco, Sam’s Club, and more
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional local and national guides on Kroger holiday hours and store closures provide context for short?term traffic patterns but are not expected to materially affect earnings. Would Kroger be open on Christmas Eve? Store hours, dates, and more explored
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage alleging a large crime?related retail impact — claiming ~$112B in losses and the closure of ~60 Kroger stores with ~9,000 jobs lost — is a serious headline risk. If accurate and widespread, store closures or higher shrink/crime costs could pressure margins and future store economics. Investors will treat this as a material operational and reputational concern until clarified by Kroger. $112B crime wave wipes out 60 Kroger stores in retail bloodbath – 9,000 jobs lost

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $62.27 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $65.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $67.79. The Kroger Co. has a 52-week low of $58.12 and a 52-week high of $74.90. The company has a market cap of $39.40 billion, a PE ratio of 57.65, a PEG ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.02. Kroger had a net margin of 0.54% and a return on equity of 38.06%. The firm had revenue of $33.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.27 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.98 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on KR. Wall Street Zen downgraded Kroger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, October 26th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $70.00 price objective (down from $78.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $68.00 target price (down previously from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $72.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, December 8th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $74.13.

About Kroger

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.