Moran Wealth Management LLC Acquires 65,170 Shares of The Kroger Co. $KR

by · The Cerbat Gem

Moran Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR – Free Report) by 32.3% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 267,076 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 65,170 shares during the quarter. Moran Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $18,004,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KR. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. boosted its position in 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 buying an additional 342 shares during the period. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp purchased a new stake in Kroger during the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Rossby Financial LCC bought a new position in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased its stake in Kroger by 10,425.0% in the 2nd quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 421 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 417 shares during the period. Finally, Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its stake in Kroger by 87.8% in the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 445 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: Kroger launched a “Yearly Checkout” feature that summarizes customers’ annual savings and shopping habits — a loyalty/data play that can boost engagement, basket frequency and targeted promotions. Read More.
  • Positive Sentiment: The chain rolled out a major discount program on fruits & vegetables for SNAP, WIC and Medicaid shoppers, which can attract price-sensitive customers and increase foot traffic in lower-income catchments. Read More.
  • Positive Sentiment: Store expansion and real-estate activity continue: a Kroger-anchored retail acquisition in Texas (ShopOne JV) and a planned new store in Genesee County provide local growth and leasing/anchoring advantages for the retailer. Read More. Read More.
  • Neutral Sentiment: Unusual options activity — a ~49% jump in daily call volume — suggests speculative bullish positioning by traders but not necessarily a conviction from long-term investors; watch for follow-through.
  • Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces comparing grocery peers (including Albertsons) and broader mega-cap articles put Kroger in a valuation/competitive context; these can influence sentiment but don’t change company fundamentals immediately. Read More.
  • Neutral Sentiment: Questions around Kroger’s earlier pledge on single-use plastic bag phase-out reflect reputational/ESG scrutiny; this may matter to some investors but is unlikely to drive near-term earnings. Read More.
  • Negative Sentiment: Kroger missed Q3 sales expectations (revenue below consensus) despite a slight EPS beat, raising questions about topline momentum and pricing dynamics in a competitive grocery environment. Read More.
  • Negative Sentiment: A sell-side rating downgrade citing weaker near-term earnings growth compounds downward pressure on sentiment and could prompt more cautious positioning by institutional holders. Read More.
  • Negative Sentiment: An Orion, Mich. Kroger was temporarily closed after state inspectors found rodent evidence; while isolated, health violations can harm local traffic and generate negative headlines. Read More.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $59.29 on Thursday. The Kroger Co. has a 1 year low of $58.12 and a 1 year high of $74.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $37.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 54.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.61. The company’s 50-day moving average is $64.07 and its 200 day moving average is $67.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.45.

Kroger (NYSE:KR – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $33.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.27 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.98 earnings per share. Kroger’s quarterly revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $70.00 price target (down previously from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, December 5th. Roth Capital raised shares of Kroger from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. Wall Street Zen cut Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 27th. Finally, Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating and set a $68.00 price target (down previously from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Eight 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, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $74.13.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on KR

About Kroger

(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.

Further Reading

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