The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Receives $72.00 Consensus PT from Brokerages

Shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the nineteen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $72.00.

Several research firms recently commented on KR. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Erste Group Bank cut Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, 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.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger during the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 268.1% during the fourth quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Axiom Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the first quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Stock Performance

NYSE:KR opened at $56.46 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $61.99 and a 200 day moving average of $65.66. The company has a market capitalization of $34.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.21, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.44. Kroger has a 1-year low of $54.15 and a 1-year high of $76.58. 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 (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $46.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The firm’s revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.49 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Kroger will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be given a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This is an increase from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 91.76%.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is rolling out new in-store wine shops to capture demand for premium products, which could support higher-margin sales and improve traffic. Kroger launches store wine shops to tap into consumer demand for premium options
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger also made a major change to its rewards program that helps shoppers, which may strengthen customer loyalty and encourage repeat spending. Kroger makes major change to rewards program that will help shoppers
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts said concerns about Walmart’s price investments tied to Kroger-related headlines may be overdone, suggesting Kroger’s competitive actions are being noticed by the market. Buy Walmart stock as price investment fear is overdone, Bernstein says
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage highlighted several new food items at Kroger in July, which may help draw shoppers but is unlikely to move the stock materially on its own. The 7 Best New Food Items To Grab At Kroger In July 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports that Kroger is scaling back or scrapping parts of its Florida expansion plans suggest a more cautious growth strategy, but the impact appears limited for now. Kroger wipes out plan for 80 stores in Florida
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain focused on the Kroger-Giant Eagle merger process; while approval is now seen as more likely, the deal still depends on regulatory review and limited divestitures, which keeps uncertainty around the stock. The Kroger-Giant Eagle deal is seen being approved after limited store divestitures
• Negative Sentiment: Antitrust scrutiny around the Kroger-Giant Eagle merger could slow or complicate approval, adding another layer of headline risk for KR. Will the Kroger-Giant Eagle deal face regulatory challenges?

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.