Kroger (NYSE:KR) Earns Buy Rating from Roth Mkm

Kroger (NYSE:KR)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reiterated by investment analysts at Roth Mkm in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $78.00 target price on the stock, up from their previous target price of $75.00. Roth Mkm’s price objective points to a potential upside of 4.97% from the company’s current price.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on KR. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $70.00 target price (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded shares of Kroger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $70.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Evercore set a $77.00 price objective on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of 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. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Kroger currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.38.

Kroger Trading Up 3.8%

Shares of KR stock opened at $74.31 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $47.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.57, a PEG ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.62. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $65.35 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $65.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.80. Kroger has a fifty-two week low of $58.60 and a fifty-two week high of $74.90.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.69% and a return on equity of 41.08%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.14 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Kroger will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 268.1% in the 4th quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new position in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat on profit and margins: Kroger reported adjusted EPS above estimates, delivered gross‑margin expansion and 20% e‑commerce growth; management also rolled out FY‑26 adjusted EPS guidance above consensus and approved further buybacks — a clear catalyst for earnings per‑share growth. PR Newswire
• Positive Sentiment: Large, sustained capital returns: Management completed accelerated repurchases in 2025 and the board approved an additional $2B repurchase authorization on top of a $7.5B program; analysts and commentators say buybacks plus a growing dividend underpin long‑term per‑share upside. MarketBeat
• Positive Sentiment: Street support and upgrades: Several shops have reiterated/raised ratings and price targets (e.g., Roth MKM reaffirmed buy with a $78 PT; Telsey lifted its target), reinforcing positive sentiment into the print. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual bullish options flow: Call buying spiked (large single‑day activity), suggesting some traders are positioning for additional upside or event‑driven moves.
• Neutral Sentiment: New CEO’s playbook: Greg Foran is pushing lower prices, sharper promotions, AI and e‑commerce improvements to accelerate sales — a credible strategic pivot but execution and timing remain uncertain. FoodBusinessNews
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst consensus is broadly constructive (moderate buy), but median price targets leave limited near‑term upside absent stronger top‑line revisions. AmericanBankingNews
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue and sales outlook are muted: Q4 revenue slightly missed estimates and management offered modest identical‑sales guidance for 2026 (1–2% ex‑fuel), tempering a rally based solely on EPS strength. Retail Insight Network
• Negative Sentiment: Product recalls: Kroger‑branded and partner rice/frozen products were included in a glass‑fragment recall, creating short‑term inventory, sales and reputational headwinds in affected markets. MSN
• Negative Sentiment: Labor and legal exposure: Class‑action suits over e‑commerce worker classification and heightened union friction (Teamsters commentary) add regulatory/legal risk and potential costs. GroceryDive
• Negative Sentiment: Dividend sustainability question: Commentary flagged a high payout ratio on a GAAP basis (dividend > GAAP net income), which could worry income investors despite strong cash flow and buybacks. 24/7 Wall St.

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.