Erste Group Bank Predicts Kroger FY2027 Earnings

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) – Stock analysts at Erste Group Bank issued their FY2027 earnings per share estimates for Kroger in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, April 2nd. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel expects that the company will post earnings per share of $5.25 for the year. Erste Group Bank has a “Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Kroger’s current full-year earnings is $4.44 per share. Erste Group Bank also issued estimates for Kroger’s FY2028 earnings at $5.62 EPS.

KR has been the subject of a number of other reports. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $70.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price objective on Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.56.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of KR stock opened at $70.31 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $70.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $66.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The firm has a market cap of $43.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.95, a PEG ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.55. Kroger has a 12 month low of $58.60 and a 12 month high of $76.58.

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

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Kroger’s payout ratio is presently 91.50%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kroger

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KR. Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC grew its position 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 valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares during the period. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Avalon Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group raised multi-year EPS expectations and reiterated a Buy — analyst H. Engel now models FY2027 EPS of $5.25 and FY2028 EPS of $5.62, well above the current consensus (~$4.44), which supports upside to Kroger’s earnings outlook and valuation.
• Positive Sentiment: Flashfood rollout expands across Kroger’s entire Mid‑Atlantic division, reducing food waste and offering discounted near‑date items — this can boost traffic, improve margins on surplus inventory and advance Kroger’s digital/“Food as Medicine” positioning. Flashfood and Kroger Expand Partnership (BusinessWire)
• Positive Sentiment: Local hiring and promotional events (new Kroger Marketplace hiring, senior discount days, Earth Month campaign) support store openings and short‑term traffic. Hiring event (WV Metro News)
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry/tech trend coverage — articles on digital price tags note efficiency gains but raise regulatory and consumer‑trust questions; implications for Kroger depend on execution and oversight.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/sector pieces flag broader retail fundamentals and volatility; these temper sector sentiment but aren’t Kroger‑specific catalysts. 3 Consumer Stocks with Questionable Fundamentals
• Negative Sentiment: Lawsuit alleges Kroger engaged in false advertising — legal risk and potential reputational damage that can create uncertainty for investors. Kroger sued for false advertising (Supermarket News)
• Negative Sentiment: A separate complaint alleges Kroger colluded with trucking companies via no‑hire agreements for drivers — antitrust and employment‑practice exposure could lead to fines, settlements or higher labor costs. Kroger colluded with trucking companies (Grocery Dive)
• Negative Sentiment: Arizona AG seeks ~$972K from Kroger over the failed Albertsons merger — a modest direct hit but a reminder of regulatory and litigation costs tied to the merger process. Arizona AG seeks $972K (AZ Capitol Times)
• Negative Sentiment: Raymond James upgrade of Instacart (Maplebear) to Outperform highlights a stronger competitive threat from improved Instacart tools (Cart Assistant) that could pressure Kroger’s online grocery growth and margins. Instacart upgraded (Yahoo/Investing.com)

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.