Kroger (NYSE:KR) Given “Buy” Rating at Guggenheim

Guggenheim reiterated their buy rating on shares of Kroger (NYSE:KR) in a research report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. Guggenheim currently has a $78.00 target price on the stock.

Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on KR. Evercore set a $77.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday. Barclays reissued a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 5th. 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 research report on Thursday, January 8th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.07.

Kroger Stock Down 3.0%

Kroger stock opened at $67.98 on Tuesday. Kroger has a fifty-two week low of $58.60 and a fifty-two week high of $74.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 62.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.62. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $63.09 and its two-hundred day moving average is $66.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.88.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 in the previous year, the company posted $0.98 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. Analysts predict that Kroger will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

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

Institutional Trading of Kroger

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of Nova Scotia boosted its stake in Kroger by 102.5% during the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 168,395 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,079,000 after buying an additional 85,223 shares in the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd lifted its holdings in Kroger by 2,313.4% in the 2nd quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 138,915 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,964,000 after acquiring an additional 133,159 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC lifted its holdings in Kroger by 43.4% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 72,244 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,870,000 after acquiring an additional 21,876 shares during the last quarter. AdvisorShares Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the 2nd quarter valued at about $480,000. Finally, Liberty One Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 85.0% in the 3rd quarter. Liberty One Investment Management LLC now owns 857,667 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,828,000 after purchasing an additional 394,060 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Big leadership win — Kroger appointed Greg Foran as CEO, a proven operator who led Walmart U.S.; the announcement sparked a multi-day rally as investors expect operational fixes and sharper execution. Kroger Appoints Greg Foran as Chief Executive Officer
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — Several firms reaffirmed “buy/outperform” ratings and raised price targets (examples: Guggenheim and Telsey), giving room for upside if Foran delivers margin gains and market-share defense. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Strategy reset and e‑commerce profitability — Coverage notes Kroger’s write-downs and pivot from costly automated “sheds” to store-based fulfillment and partner deliveries could boost e‑commerce margins by ~\$400M in 2026 if execution holds. MarketBeat: Kroger’s New CEO: A Turnaround Play in Aisle 4?
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing/seasonal promotions — Kroger’s Valentine’s Day surf-and-turf push and “Spread the Love” campaign are supportive for near-term sales but unlikely to move the stock materially. PR Newswire
• Negative Sentiment: Local development pushback — A proposed Kroger site west of Kalamazoo has raised walkability and community concerns; while small in corporate terms, it highlights potential permitting/community friction for store expansion. MSN
• Negative Sentiment: Compensation and costs — Coverage notes Foran will be highly paid, and investors may be sensitive to near-term elevated compensation expense or transition costs as the new strategy is implemented. MSN: CEO pay

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.