Kroger Q3 EPS Estimate Decreased by Telsey Advisory Group

Key Points

• Telsey Advisory Group has lowered its earnings per share estimate for Kroger for Q3 2026 from $1.05 to $1.03, while maintaining an "Outperform" rating and a price target of $82.00.
• Kroger reported Q3 earnings of $1.04 per share, exceeding the consensus estimate of $1.00, despite revenue being slightly below analyst expectations at $33.94 billion.
• The company recently increased its quarterly dividend to $0.35 per share, reflecting a positive change in shareholder returns with an annualized yield of 2.0%.

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) - Equities researchers at Telsey Advisory Group cut their Q3 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Kroger in a report issued on Thursday, September 11th. Telsey Advisory Group analyst J. Feldman now expects that the company will earn $1.03 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $1.05. Telsey Advisory Group has a "Outperform" rating and a $82.00 price target on the stock. The consensus estimate for Kroger's current full-year earnings is $4.44 per share. Telsey Advisory Group also issued estimates for Kroger's Q4 2026 earnings at $1.22 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.65 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.14 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $5.26 EPS.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 11th. The company reported $1.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.00 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $33.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.08 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 32.62% and a net margin of 1.86%.Kroger's revenue for the quarter was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.93 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.700-4.800 EPS.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on the company. Melius upgraded Kroger from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $70.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $83.00 target price on Kroger and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. Roth Capital increased their price objective on Kroger from $58.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. Evercore ISI increased their target price on Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 12th. Finally, Melius Research upgraded Kroger from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $70.58.

Kroger Stock Up 1.7%

KR stock opened at $68.38 on Monday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $70.39 and a 200-day moving average price of $68.93. Kroger has a 1-year low of $54.51 and a 1-year high of $74.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.85, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $45.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 0.60.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of KR. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. lifted its stake in Kroger by 6,840.0% during the second quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 347 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares during the last quarter. Accent Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new position in Kroger in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Rossby Financial LCC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the second quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its stake in Kroger by 10,425.0% in the second quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 421 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 417 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kroger

In other Kroger news, VP Carin L. Fike sold 16,475 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction on Monday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.79, for a total value of $1,215,690.25. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 49,360 shares in the company, valued at $3,642,274.40. This trade represents a 25.02% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Clyde R. Moore sold 3,810 shares of Kroger stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.61, for a total transaction of $272,834.10. Following the transaction, the director owned 85,850 shares in the company, valued at $6,147,718.50. The trade was a 4.25% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 198,948 shares of company stock valued at $14,422,926. Corporate insiders own 0.44% of the company's stock.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th were paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. This is a positive change from Kroger's previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 15th. Kroger's payout ratio is currently 35.53%.

About Kroger

The Kroger Co operates as a food and drug retailer in the United States. The company operates combination food and drug stores, multi-department stores, marketplace stores, and price impact warehouses. Its combination food and drug stores offer natural food and organic sections, pharmacies, general merchandise, pet centers, fresh seafood, and organic produce; and multi-department stores provide apparel, home fashion and furnishings, outdoor living, electronics, automotive products, and toys.

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