The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Receives $72.00 Average Target Price from Analysts

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the nineteen analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and ten have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $71.75.

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on KR shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday, June 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $82.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, June 19th. Barclays set a $61.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group set a $78.00 target price on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, June 22nd.

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger named Mark Ibbotson executive vice president and chief store operations officer, effective September 14. His experience leading Walmart’s e-commerce platform could support Kroger’s digital ordering, store productivity and omnichannel strategy. Kroger names Mark Ibbotson Executive Vice President and Chief Store Operations Officer
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerages collectively maintain a “Moderate Buy” rating on KR, suggesting analysts see potential upside but not a strong consensus catalyst. Kroger Given Average Rating of Moderate Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts describe Kroger’s valuation as broadly fair after a roughly 40% five-year return. The assessment offers limited support for the shares but does not identify a compelling bargain. Kroger Stock Looks Fair On Earnings While Returns Stay Strong
• Neutral Sentiment: New Kroger Marketplace developments in London, including a Crumbl Cookies location, indicate continued investment in stores and expanded customer offerings, although the direct financial impact appears limited. Kroger Marketplace and Crumbl Cookies Among New London Developments
• Negative Sentiment: Oppenheimer expects Kroger’s fiscal second-quarter identical sales to fall short of consensus amid a challenging grocery environment. A weaker same-store sales outlook raises concerns about customer traffic, pricing and margin performance. Kroger Could Miss Quarterly Identical Sales Views
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger’s planned $1.65 billion grocery acquisition is drawing scrutiny because the company remains in litigation related to its prior merger attempt. Reusing a similar regulatory strategy could increase execution risk, legal costs and uncertainty around the deal. Kroger Is Buying Another Grocery Chain While Still in Court
• Negative Sentiment: A recent sell-focused analysis points to Kroger’s underperformance over the past six months and argues that investors may find more attractive opportunities elsewhere. This reinforces the broader cautious tone surrounding the shares. 3 Reasons to Sell KR and 1 Stock to Buy Instead

Kroger Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of KR opened at $58.53 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $35.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.43, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.39. Kroger has a one year low of $54.15 and a one year high of $76.58. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $57.69 and its 200-day simple moving average is $64.09.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The business had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.49 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Kroger will post 5.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th were issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. This is a positive change from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 91.76%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kroger

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. SGL Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the second quarter worth $2,764,000. Allstate Corp lifted its position in Kroger by 108.5% in the 4th quarter. Allstate Corp now owns 47,991 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,998,000 after acquiring an additional 24,976 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in Kroger in the 2nd quarter worth $76,633,000. Conning Inc. increased its holdings in Kroger by 10,178.7% during the 4th quarter. Conning Inc. now owns 507,459 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,706,000 after purchasing an additional 502,522 shares in the last quarter. Finally, North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,299,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.