Kroger EVP Mary Ellen Adcock Sells 72,901 Shares for $4.4 Million
Key Points
The executive traded 72,901 shares for ~$4.4 million on September 18, 2026.
The transaction size was equal to 37% of the direct equity stake held before the filing.
The activity involved the exercise of 48,806 stock options at $38.32 per share, which were immediately converted and sold.
Adcock maintained a significant direct interest in the company while also holding derivative securities.
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Mary Ellen Adcock, Executive Vice President of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR), sold 72,901 shares of common stock on Sept. 18, 2026, according to a recent SEC Form 4 filing.
Transaction summary
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Transaction value | $4.4 million |
| Shares sold | 72,901 |
| Post-transaction shares (directly held) | 175,233 |
| Post-transaction value | $10.51 million |
Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average sale price ($60.70); post-transaction value based on Sept. 18, 2026, market close ($60.00).
Key questions
- What were the mechanics of the derivative transaction?
Adcock exercised 48,806 options at a strike price of $38.32 before disposing of a larger block of 72,901 shares at a weighted average price of $60.70. This execution allowed the executive to capture the spread between the grant price and current market valuation. - What is the executive's remaining equity exposure?
Following this transaction, Adcock retains direct ownership of ~175,000 shares of common stock. Based on the Sept. 18, 2026, market close of $60.00, this remaining direct position is valued at $10.51 million. - How does the transaction align with recent stock performance?
The sale occurred with shares priced at a weighted average of $60.70, while the company's one-year total return stood at (9%) as of the Sept. 18, 2026, transaction date. - How was the sale executed across different price points?
The shares were liquidated in multiple blocks, with weighted-average prices ranging from $60.63 to $60.75 across transaction sets disclosed in the filing.
Company Overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Share Price (as of market close 2026-09-18) | $60.00 |
| Market Capitalization | $35.8 billion |
| Revenue (TTM) | $149.3 billion |
| Net Income (TTM) | $1.1 billion |
Company Snapshot
- The Kroger Co. operates an extensive network of integrated food and drug stores offering a comprehensive product portfolio, including natural and organic sections, pharmacies, general merchandise, pet centers, fresh seafood, and organic produce, supplemented by multi-department stores featuring apparel, home fashion and furnishings, and outdoor living goods.
- The company generates revenue through retail grocery operations across multiple store formats, leveraging its diversified product offerings and integrated services to capture market share across food, pharmacy, and general merchandise categories.
- The Kroger Co. serves a broad base of U.S. consumers seeking convenient access to groceries, pharmaceuticals, and general merchandise, targeting households across various income levels through its varied store formats and product assortments.
The Kroger Co. represents one of the largest retail grocery operators in the United States, commanding a substantial market presence with $149.3 billion in TTM revenue and a diversified store portfolio. The company's competitive positioning is reinforced by its integrated business model combining food retail, pharmacy services, and general merchandise, enabling cross-selling opportunities and customer loyalty. With 403,000 employees and operations spanning multiple store formats, Kroger maintains significant scale advantages in procurement, distribution, and market penetration within the consumer defensive sector.
What this transaction means for investors
Although news of an executive unloading the equivalent of 37% of their equity stake might alarm investors, Mary Ellen Adcock's sale of Kroger stock is more than likely a move for personal reasons rather than a loss of confidence in Kroger stock.
Executive compensation often comes in the form of stock options, and sometimes insiders must exercise them by a certain date. Assuming that is the case here, the transactions would have occurred regardless of the stock's performance.
Moreover, consumer staples stocks like Kroger often appeal to investors seeking to protect wealth rather than build it quickly. Kroger has achieved this by accomplishing the rare feat of building a successful nationwide grocery chain in its highly competitive industry.
To be sure, the stock has struggled amid rising operating expenses in 2025, which cut its net margin. Nonetheless, it has maintained a 1.9% net margin in the first half of 2026, unchanged from the previous year.
Also, its dividend has risen for 20 straight years, and its 2.4% dividend yield is far above the S&P 500 average of 1.1%. Such conditions increase the likelihood that Adcock will hold on to her much larger direct position in Kroger stock.
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Will Healy has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Kroger. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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