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

Shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the fourteen brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $74.0714.

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on KR. Barclays set a $68.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Morgan Stanley set a $67.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $70.00 price target (down previously from $78.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 27th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price objective for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th.

Kroger Stock Up 1.3%

KR stock opened at $67.54 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $63.01 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $66.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $42.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 62.54, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.62. Kroger has a one year low of $58.60 and a one year high of $74.90.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $33.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.27 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 38.06% and a net margin of 0.54%.The business’s revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.98 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Kroger will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. Kroger’s payout ratio is currently 129.63%.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Social and trader sentiment is upbeat about Kroger’s rebound potential despite recent profit volatility; posts highlight a low forward P/E, long dividend history and traders adding long exposure — supporting momentum and buyer interest. Kroger Stock (KR) Opinions on Recent Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional activity shows large buys from firms like Wellington, UBS and Goldman, offsetting notable sells — heavy additions by major asset managers can be a near-term support for the stock. Institutional holdings and hedge fund activity
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage is favorable: recent “Buy/Outperform” notes and a median price target around $70 (several targets higher) give investors a visible upside reference that can lift sentiment. Analyst ratings and targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger scheduled its Q4 2025 earnings conference call for March 5 — management commentary and Q&A could move the stock depending on guidance detail and margin commentary. Earnings call announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Management changes: Kroger named a new Central Division president as part of divisional reshuffling — typically neutral but worth watching for execution on regional performance. Kroger names new Central Division president
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing and seasonal demand articles (Big Game/Valentine’s Day) and consumer tips increase traffic/awareness but are unlikely to materially change fundamentals on their own. In the Kitchen with Kroger
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger plans to close 18 retail health clinics in Georgia — closures signal portfolio pruning or cost actions but could reduce ancillary revenue and customer touchpoints in those markets. Kroger to reportedly close 18 health clinics in Georgia Kroger to close 18 retail health clinics
• Negative Sentiment: Store-safety incident: local reports of a fight and an individual reportedly pulling a gun prompted an evacuation at a Kroger store — negative for brand/safety perception in that location, though limited likely to be a localized, short-term impact. Kroger evacuated after fight breaks out Person reportedly pulls gun out during fight at local Kroger

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in shares of Kroger by 27.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,733 shares of the company’s stock valued at $962,000 after acquiring an additional 3,373 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP raised its position in Kroger by 40.7% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 56,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,807,000 after purchasing an additional 16,270 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Kroger in the second quarter valued at about $201,000. DAVENPORT & Co LLC lifted its stake in shares of Kroger by 8.2% during the second quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 8,948 shares of the company’s stock worth $642,000 after purchasing an additional 677 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PDS Planning Inc boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 2.0% in the second quarter. PDS Planning Inc now owns 7,715 shares of the company’s stock worth $553,000 after buying an additional 152 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

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.