Erste Group Bank Begins Coverage on Kroger (NYSE:KR)

Analysts at Erste Group Bank began coverage on shares of Kroger (NYSE:KR) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, MarketBeat reports. The firm set a “buy” rating on the stock.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $70.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Kroger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $70.00 to $68.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 27th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price target on shares of Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $74.56.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of KR stock opened at $72.35 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $69.66 and a 200 day moving average price of $66.53. Kroger has a 52-week low of $58.60 and a 52-week high of $76.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $44.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.29, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.55.

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new stake in Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Kroger in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Kroger by 268.1% in the fourth quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares in the last quarter. Avalon Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $33,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.