Kroger (NYSE:KR) Raised to "Buy" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Kroger from “hold” to “buy.” Across analysts, 12 rate the stock Buy and nine Hold, for a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $70.35.
• Kroger reported quarterly EPS of $1.09, beating the $1.05 consensus, while revenue of $34.62 billion was slightly below estimates but up 2% year over year.
• Executive Vice President Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares at an average price of $60.70, reducing her stake by 29.38%.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Melius Research set a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. Citigroup restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $57.00 price objective (down from $61.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Telsey Advisory Group cut their target price on shares of Kroger from $78.00 to $75.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $68.00 target price (up from $66.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $70.35.

Kroger Stock Performance

NYSE KR opened at $67.82 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.31. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $61.65 and its 200-day simple moving average is $63.73. The company has a market cap of $40.05 billion, a PE ratio of 36.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.36. Kroger has a 1-year low of $54.15 and a 1-year high of $76.58.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.04. Kroger had a return on equity of 49.90% and a net margin of 0.73%. The firm had revenue of $34.62 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.04 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Kroger will post 5.20 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Kroger

In other Kroger news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total transaction of $4,425,090.70. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 175,233 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,636,643.10. This represents a 29.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kroger

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. McKinney Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger in the third quarter worth $1,476,000. Moors & Cabot Inc. boosted its stake in Kroger by 4.7% during the 3rd quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 8,827 shares of the company's stock valued at $517,000 after acquiring an additional 393 shares during the last quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. grew its holdings in Kroger by 39.7% during the 3rd quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. now owns 10,119 shares of the company's stock worth $593,000 after acquiring an additional 2,877 shares in the last quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp grew its holdings in Kroger by 12.8% during the 3rd quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 76,768 shares of the company's stock worth $4,500,000 after acquiring an additional 8,698 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in Kroger by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 38,976 shares of the company's stock worth $2,164,000 after acquiring an additional 289 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger opened a new, roughly 100,000-square-foot Marketplace in Owensboro, Kentucky, featuring expanded food and specialty offerings. The store could support local sales, though the impact of a single opening is likely limited. Article: Kroger swings open doors to new-format store
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is promoting Thanksgiving meal bundles and an AI shopping assistant for planning and scaling recipes. The convenience push may help attract holiday shoppers and support seasonal sales. Article: Kroger Makes Thanksgiving Easy This Year
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger will hold its third-quarter 2026 earnings call on December 3. The announcement provides a date for investors to hear results and management’s outlook, but gives no new financial figures. Article: Kroger Announces Third Quarter Conference Call
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger is asking a court to dismiss Sony Music’s lawsuit over social-media ads, citing a Supreme Court ruling. A successful dismissal could limit legal exposure, but the request is not a ruling and the case remains unresolved. Article: Kroger asks court to dismiss Sony Music lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage of the Kroger-Albertsons trial describes mistrust surrounding the proposed merger. That account underscores the deal’s past execution and regulatory challenges, though it does not report a new decision affecting Kroger’s current operations. Article: Kroger-Albertsons Trial Lays Bare a Merger Built on Mistrust
• Negative Sentiment: A think tank argues that a possible Kroger takeover of Giant Eagle could hurt consumers and union workers. The criticism could add reputational or political headwinds if such a transaction is pursued; the report does not establish that a deal is underway. Article: Think tank warns a Kroger-Giant Eagle takeover would harm consumers and workers

Kroger Company Profile

The Kroger Co is a U.S. grocery retailer founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1883 by Bernard Kroger. It operates supermarkets and other grocery formats across the United States under banners including Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, King Soopers, and Smith's.

Alongside groceries and household essentials, Kroger stores offer services such as pharmacies and fuel centers. The company also sells products under its own private-label brands and produces many of those items through its food manufacturing operations.

Kroger serves customers through physical stores and digital channels, including online ordering for pickup and delivery.

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