The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the sixteen ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $74.8667.

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 target price on Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $75.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 target price (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Barclays reiterated a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, February 9th.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger was included in the 2026 Axios Harris Poll 100, highlighting its strong visibility and trust with consumers, which can reinforce the stock’s defensive appeal. Axios Harris Poll Names Kroger One of America’s Most Visible and Trusted Companies
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger continues to promote traffic-driving initiatives like Memorial Day savings and a 4X Fuel Points event, supporting near-term customer engagement and store visits. Kroger Helps Customers Celebrate Memorial Day with Savings on Grilling Favorites and 4X Fuel Points Event
• Positive Sentiment: Juni expanded across Kroger family banners and surpassed 8,000 retail doors, indicating continued partner expansion and shelf presence across Kroger’s network. Juni Surpasses 8,000 Retail Doors, Expands Across Kroger Family Banners
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles about digital coupons, grocery savings, and Kroger-branded holiday shopping reflect ongoing consumer interest, but do not appear to change the company’s fundamentals on their own.
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger was mentioned in a salmonella-related snack food recall article, which could create a small overhang if consumers associate the issue with product safety at the retailer. Kroger gets swept up in the growing wave of Salmonella snack food recalls
• Negative Sentiment: A report on another Kroger executive departure may raise questions about leadership turnover, though the impact looks limited unless more exits follow. Another Kroger executive departs

Institutional Trading of Kroger

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Royal Fund Management LLC increased its holdings in Kroger by 86.3% in the 1st quarter. Royal Fund Management LLC now owns 50,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,654,000 after purchasing an additional 23,400 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in Kroger by 17.0% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,041,028 shares of the company’s stock valued at $437,129,000 after buying an additional 876,168 shares during the last quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems boosted its position in Kroger by 12.9% in the 1st quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems now owns 42,966 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,109,000 after buying an additional 4,893 shares during the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC lifted its position in shares of Kroger by 143.1% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 87,153 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,305,000 after purchasing an additional 51,308 shares during the last quarter. Finally, South Dakota Investment Council lifted its position in shares of Kroger by 54.5% during the first quarter. South Dakota Investment Council now owns 6,800 shares of the company’s stock worth $492,000 after purchasing an additional 2,400 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of KR stock opened at $70.64 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.28 billion, a PE ratio of 46.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.46. Kroger has a 52-week low of $58.60 and a 52-week high of $76.58. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $69.85 and its 200 day moving average price is $66.67. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.10 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.14 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Kroger will post 5.24 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 91.50%.

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.