The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eighteen brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and ten have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $75.1250.

A number of research firms recently issued reports on KR. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 target price on Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 target price (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Citigroup increased their target price on Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Weiss Ratings cut Kroger from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th.

Kroger Price Performance

NYSE KR opened at $56.57 on Friday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $65.51 and a 200 day simple moving average of $66.33. Kroger has a 52-week low of $56.32 and a 52-week high of $76.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.79. The stock has a market cap of $34.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.27, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.42.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a return on equity of 44.33% and a net margin of 0.71%.The business had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.49 earnings per share. Kroger’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Kroger will post 5.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Kroger

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of KR. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 268.1% during the 4th quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 303 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the 1st quarter worth approximately $31,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue came in above expectations at $46.12 billion, and Kroger said identical sales excluding fuel rose 1.0%, showing demand for groceries and essentials remains resilient. Kroger Q1 Earnings Miss Despite Revenue Beat & E-commerce Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Digital growth was a bright spot: e-commerce sales increased 19%, and Kroger’s media segment turned profitable, which supports the company’s longer-term growth strategy. The Kroger Co (KR) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong eCommerce Growth and Profitability …
• Neutral Sentiment: Management reaffirmed full-year guidance, which may calm some investors, but it was not enough to offset concerns about near-term profitability. Kroger Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary is split, with some viewing the selloff as a value opportunity while others say margin pressure and cautious consumers make the stock less attractive in the near term. Why Kroger’s Pullback Could Be a Gift for Patient Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Adjusted EPS of $1.58 missed estimates by a penny, and investors reacted strongly to signs that pricing investments and higher operating costs are pressuring margins. Kroger Q1 Earnings Miss Despite Revenue Beat & E-commerce Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Several reports noted that consumers are under pressure and that Kroger’s cost growth is outrunning sales growth, which is the main reason shares sold off after earnings. Kroger beats quarterly sales estimates

Kroger Company Profile

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.