Martingale Asset Management L P Reduces Stock Holdings in The Kroger Co. $KR

by · The Markets Daily

Martingale Asset Management L P cut its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR – Free Report) by 7.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 405,221 shares of the company’s stock after selling 30,964 shares during the period. Martingale Asset Management L P owned approximately 0.06% of Kroger worth $27,316,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Avalon Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 87.8% in the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 445 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares during the period. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the second quarter valued at $33,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Kroger by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 490 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 245 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of KR stock opened at $74.98 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $66.20 and a two-hundred day moving average of $65.99. The firm has a market cap of $47.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.62. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $58.60 and a 1-year high of $76.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.42.

Kroger (NYSE:KR – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a net margin of 0.69% and a return on equity of 41.08%. The business had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.14 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 91.50%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have commented on KR shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, December 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Barclays reiterated a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $70.00 price target (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group raised their price objective on Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.56.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Kroger

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: Post‑earnings optimism and analyst price‑target hikes following Kroger’s March 5 earnings beat and FY2026 guidance; analysts cited improving e‑commerce and pharmacy trends and lifted targets, supporting the rally. Kroger shares rise 3.9% as post-earnings optimism and price-target hikes build
  • Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share (paid June 1; record May 15). The company has grown the dividend at a ~13% CAGR since reinstatement in 2006 — a positive for income and total‑return focused investors. Kroger’s Board of Directors Declares Quarterly Dividend
  • Positive Sentiment: Evercore and other research notes have recently boosted targets and reiterated constructive views (Evercore raised its target to $83), reinforcing investor confidence after the latest results. Kroger (KR) Stock Gets Price Target Boost from Evercore
  • Neutral Sentiment: Kroger hit an all‑time high intraday, reflecting the cumulative effect of earnings, guidance and capital‑return news; this can attract momentum flows but also prompts valuation scrutiny. Kroger stock reaches all-time high
  • Neutral Sentiment: Strategic/operational updates from new management — customer appreciation promotions and a public outline of five growth priorities — signal active turnaround work; these are positive for execution but require time to show margin impact. Kroger and new CEO outline 5 growth priorities
  • Neutral Sentiment: Ocado’s move toward store‑based automated fulfillment and talks with other retailers reduces dependence on its past Kroger‑exclusive model — not an immediate hit to Kroger but worth monitoring for future e‑commerce capacity dynamics. Ocado turns to store-based e-commerce fulfillment
  • Negative Sentiment: Kroger plans to close about 50 Little Clinics — a pullback that could reduce health‑service revenue and signals a strategic reset in healthcare operations. Investors may view this as a short‑term headwind or a cost‑cutting move depending on execution. Kroger plans to shutter 50 Little Clinics
  • Negative Sentiment: Some analysts cautioned Kroger is becoming fairly valued after the rally and issued downgrades or neutral takes, which could limit upside if earnings/delivery fall short of elevated expectations. Kroger: Strong E‑Commerce Growth, But Fairly Valued After Rally (Downgrade)
  • Negative Sentiment: Food‑safety recall coverage (expanded frozen fried rice recall including Kroger products) is a small operational risk that can traffic negative headlines and local sales impacts. Frozen fried rice recall expanded by USDA

Kroger Company Profile

(Free Report)

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.

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