Kroger (NYSE:KR) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Kroger (NYSE:KR) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 5.100-5.300 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 5.000. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $68.00 target price (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Wells Fargo & Company cut Kroger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $70.00 to $68.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $70.00 price objective (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Kroger has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $73.93.

Kroger Price Performance

Kroger stock opened at $67.97 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $43.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 62.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.62. Kroger has a one year low of $58.60 and a one year high of $74.90. The business has a fifty day moving average of $64.96 and a two-hundred day moving average of $65.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.88.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its quarterly 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 0.54% and a return on equity of 38.06%. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Kroger will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Kroger’s payout ratio is presently 129.63%.

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — Kroger reported $1.28 EPS vs. $1.20 consensus and highlighted strong eCommerce sales and ROE, giving investors an upside surprise to near-term earnings visibility. Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Large buyback authorization — Management cleared a $7.5B repurchase program (including a $5B accelerated buyback) and the board approved an additional $2B, a clear capital-return signal that supports share price. PR Newswire
• Positive Sentiment: eCommerce repositioning — Kroger completed an eCommerce strategic review, forecasting ~$400M in operating-profit improvement in 2026 and pointing to a path to eCommerce profitability alongside ~$16B in eCommerce sales. PR Newswire
• Neutral Sentiment: GAAP vs. adjusted results — Fiscal 2025 included a $2.5B impairment that produced a GAAP loss; adjusted metrics and free cash flow were stronger, so performance needs to be viewed through both lenses. PR Newswire
• Neutral Sentiment: Product innovation — Kroger is expanding private‑label fresh and frozen meal offerings, a modest revenue/margin lever but not an immediate game-changer. Grocery Dive
• Negative Sentiment: Labor and legal risks — Kroger faces two class-action suits alleging e‑commerce manager misclassification and a public clash with the Teamsters that could raise labor costs or disruption risk. Grocery Dive
• Negative Sentiment: Recall and food-safety headlines — Frozen-food recalls affecting Kroger/Trader Joe’s product lines and a glass contamination recall are reputational and operational headwinds that can dent traffic or margins. Yahoo
• Negative Sentiment: Store closures and layoffs — Additional location exits and headcount reductions signal portfolio pruning that may boost near-term cost control but also reflect underlying market/operational challenges. TheStreet

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kroger

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Kroger by 27.3% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,733 shares of the company’s stock worth $962,000 after purchasing an additional 3,373 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 40.7% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 56,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,807,000 after buying an additional 16,270 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in Kroger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $201,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Kroger by 11.5% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 97,288 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,978,000 after acquiring an additional 10,051 shares during the period. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,840,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

About Kroger

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.