The Kroger Co. shared that its board of directors has approved an incremental $2 billion share repurchase authorization, expanding the company’s capacity to return capital to shareholders through buybacks.
The new authorization supplements the previously announced $7.5 billion repurchase program from December 2024.
With the additional funding, Kroger has about $2.9 billion available under its share repurchase authorizations as of Dec. 23 – a figure that reflects the approved increment and portions of the earlier authorization that remain unspent.
In a news release, Kroger highlighted the board’s confidence in the company’s financial strength and long-term prospects, saying the increased authorization underscores its disciplined capital allocation strategy.
Kroger said it expects to fund repurchases from cash generated by operations and existing liquidity, and reiterated its commitment to maintaining an investment-grade credit rating while executing on shareholder returns.
Kroger may repurchase shares through a range of methods, including open market and privately negotiated transactions, accelerated repurchase agreements, block trades and plans designed to comply with SEC Rule 10b5-1.
The company noted that the authorizations have no expiration date and that actual repurchase timing will depend on prevailing market and business conditions.
Since 2015, Kroger has repurchased about 35 percent of its outstanding shares, demonstrating a focus on capital returns as part of its broader financial strategy.
The expanded share repurchase authority comes as Kroger continues to navigate a dynamic retail environment and seeks to balance investment in its operations with shareholder value initiatives.
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