Kroger (KR) Director Nora Aufreiter Receives Award of 72.606 Phantom Shares

What Happened Nora A. Aufreiter, an independent director of The Kroger Co. (KR), was granted 72.606 shares of phantom stock on 2026-09-01. The award is recorded at $57.94 per share, for a total value of approximately $4,207. This was an award/derivative grant (Form 4 transaction code A), not an open‑market purchase or sale.

Key Details

• Transaction date and price: 2026-09-01 at $57.94 per phantom share.
• Shares involved: 72.606 phantom shares; total reported value ≈ $4,207.
• Shares owned after transaction: Not specified in the provided filing excerpt.
• Footnotes:
  • F1: Each phantom share represents the right to receive one common share upon distribution.
  • F2: These phantom shares were acquired via dividend reinvestment in a deferred compensation plan.
  • F3: Phantom shares will be distributed following termination of Aufreiter’s services as an independent director.
• Filing timeliness: Reported on 2026-09-02 for a 2026-09-01 transaction — appears timely (no late filing indicated).

Context This was a deferred compensation award of phantom stock, meaning Aufreiter has a future right to Kroger common shares upon distribution (typically after leaving board service), rather than an immediate purchase or sale. Such director deferred-comp awards are common and relatively small here (~$4.2k), so they generally have limited signaling impact on investor sentiment.