Wall Street Zen Upgrades Kroger (NYSE:KR) to Buy

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Kroger to a "Buy" from "Hold", joining a mix of analyst views (nine Buy vs. eight Hold) and contributing to a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average price target of $74.56.
• Kroger beat quarterly EPS estimates ($1.28 vs. $1.20) while missing revenue estimates ($34.73B vs. $35.10B) and set FY2026 guidance of EPS 5.10–5.30, versus sell-side expectations of about 4.44 for the current year.
• The stock trades near $72.35 with a 52-week range of $58.60–$76.58, a market cap of $44.3B, a high P/E of 47.29, and roughly 80.9% institutional ownership.

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 research report issued on Saturday.

KR has been the subject of several other research reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $82.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded Kroger from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and cut their price target for the stock from $70.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a "market perform" rating and set a $70.00 price objective on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Evercore set a $77.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 target price on Kroger and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $74.56.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $72.35 on Friday. Kroger has a 52 week low of $58.60 and a 52 week high of $76.58. The business's 50 day moving average price is $69.66 and its 200 day moving average price is $66.53. 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 $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 - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.69% and a return on equity of 41.08%. Kroger's revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.14 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Kroger will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KR. Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Kroger in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Kroger by 268.1% during 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 position in Kroger during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger in the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

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.

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