Kroger (NYSE:KR) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Kroger (NYSE:KR) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 5.100-5.300 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 5.270. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen cut Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, June 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Weiss Ratings downgraded Kroger from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Kroger currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $71.31.

Kroger Stock Performance

NYSE:KR opened at $56.87 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $34.84 billion, a PE ratio of 33.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $57.78 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $63.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.79. Kroger has a fifty-two week low of $54.15 and a fifty-two week high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly 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 firm had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.59 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.49 EPS. The firm’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. Research analysts anticipate that Kroger will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th were paid a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. This is a boost from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th. Kroger’s payout ratio is presently 91.76%.

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Digital and retail-media momentum remained strong. Adjusted eCommerce sales grew 20%, while Kroger Precision Marketing profit increased 24%, supporting the company’s higher-margin growth initiatives. Kroger Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results and Updates Guidance for 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability exceeded the anticipated adjusted EPS result. Kroger reported adjusted EPS of $1.09, versus the $1.05 expectation cited ahead of the release, and adjusted FIFO operating profit of $1.076 billion. Kroger Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results and Updates Guidance for 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Core sales were nearly flat. Identical sales excluding fuel rose just 0.2%, indicating limited underlying traffic or volume growth despite continued grocery demand.
• Negative Sentiment: Full-year EPS guidance was set at $5.10-$5.30, with a midpoint of $5.20 below the $5.27 consensus estimate. This leaves limited room for upside and reinforces concerns about cautious consumer spending, pharmacy headwinds and rising operating costs.
• Negative Sentiment: Pre-release positioning had been cautious. Several analysts had reduced price targets, while options pricing implied potential post-earnings weakness. Kroger’s stock has also lagged the broader market over the past year, increasing investor sensitivity to execution and forward guidance.
• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion provides a longer-term growth catalyst. Kroger is planning a new North Texas Marketplace location, continuing grocery investment in a growing regional market. Kroger planning new store in North Texas

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kroger

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. now owns 3,537 shares of the company’s stock valued at $221,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Kroger by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 10,747 shares of the company’s stock worth $674,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT lifted its stake in Kroger by 59.6% in the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 509 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 190 shares during the period. HUB Investment Partners LLC lifted its stake in Kroger by 3.0% in the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 6,568 shares of the company’s stock valued at $471,000 after buying an additional 192 shares during the period. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 7,652 shares of the company’s stock worth $516,000 after buying an additional 221 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Kroger

The Kroger Co (NYSE: KR) is one of the largest grocery retailers in the United States. Founded in Cincinnati in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, the company operates supermarkets, multi-department stores, pharmacies, convenience stores and fuel centers across the country.

Kroger sells a broad range of fresh foods, packaged groceries, household products, health and beauty items, prepared foods and general merchandise. Its private-label offerings include Simple Truth, Private Selection and Kroger brands.