Kroger’s (KR) Buy Rating Reaffirmed at Roth Mkm

Roth Mkm reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of Kroger (NYSE:KR) in a research report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $78.00 price target on the stock, up from their previous price target of $75.00.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $70.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 27th. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $68.00 price objective (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $74.38.

Kroger Stock Up 3.8%

KR traded up $2.74 during trading on Friday, hitting $74.31. The company had a trading volume of 10,636,739 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,661,665. The company has a market capitalization of $47.03 billion, a PE ratio of 48.57, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. Kroger has a one year low of $58.60 and a one year high of $74.90. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $65.35 and its 200 day moving average price is $65.92.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The firm had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.10 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.14 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Kroger will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were given a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Kroger’s payout ratio is 129.63%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kroger

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in Kroger by 61.1% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 33,367,551 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,249,307,000 after acquiring an additional 12,652,261 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at about $470,561,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH increased its stake in shares of Kroger by 66.6% during the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 5,255,084 shares of the company’s stock worth $354,245,000 after purchasing an additional 2,100,444 shares during the last quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 299.6% in the 2nd quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 2,420,495 shares of the company’s stock valued at $173,622,000 after purchasing an additional 1,814,721 shares during the period. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 48.6% in the 4th quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 4,445,479 shares of the company’s stock valued at $277,754,000 after purchasing an additional 1,453,966 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat on profit and margins: Kroger reported adjusted EPS above estimates, delivered gross‑margin expansion and 20% e‑commerce growth; management also rolled out FY‑26 adjusted EPS guidance above consensus and approved further buybacks — a clear catalyst for earnings per‑share growth. PR Newswire
• Positive Sentiment: Large, sustained capital returns: Management completed accelerated repurchases in 2025 and the board approved an additional $2B repurchase authorization on top of a $7.5B program; analysts and commentators say buybacks plus a growing dividend underpin long‑term per‑share upside. MarketBeat
• Positive Sentiment: Street support and upgrades: Several shops have reiterated/raised ratings and price targets (e.g., Roth MKM reaffirmed buy with a $78 PT; Telsey lifted its target), reinforcing positive sentiment into the print. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual bullish options flow: Call buying spiked (large single‑day activity), suggesting some traders are positioning for additional upside or event‑driven moves.
• Neutral Sentiment: New CEO’s playbook: Greg Foran is pushing lower prices, sharper promotions, AI and e‑commerce improvements to accelerate sales — a credible strategic pivot but execution and timing remain uncertain. FoodBusinessNews
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst consensus is broadly constructive (moderate buy), but median price targets leave limited near‑term upside absent stronger top‑line revisions. AmericanBankingNews
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue and sales outlook are muted: Q4 revenue slightly missed estimates and management offered modest identical‑sales guidance for 2026 (1–2% ex‑fuel), tempering a rally based solely on EPS strength. Retail Insight Network
• Negative Sentiment: Product recalls: Kroger‑branded and partner rice/frozen products were included in a glass‑fragment recall, creating short‑term inventory, sales and reputational headwinds in affected markets. MSN
• Negative Sentiment: Labor and legal exposure: Class‑action suits over e‑commerce worker classification and heightened union friction (Teamsters commentary) add regulatory/legal risk and potential costs. GroceryDive
• Negative Sentiment: Dividend sustainability question: Commentary flagged a high payout ratio on a GAAP basis (dividend > GAAP net income), which could worry income investors despite strong cash flow and buybacks. 24/7 Wall St.

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.