Kroger (NYSE:KR) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Kroger (NYSE:KR) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided EPS guidance of 5.100-5.300 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 5.000. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Kroger Trading Up 3.7%

Shares of KR stock traded up $2.50 on Thursday, reaching $70.49. 2,583,988 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,627,352. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $64.96 and its 200 day simple moving average is $65.85. Kroger has a 52 week low of $58.60 and a 52 week high of $74.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $44.61 billion, a PE ratio of 65.27, a P/E/G ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.62.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 38.06% and a net margin of 0.54%.The business’s revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.14 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Kroger will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 129.63%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Barclays reissued a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered Kroger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $70.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Thursday. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Kroger has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $73.93.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and eCommerce growth — Kroger reported adjusted Q4 EPS of $1.28, topping estimates, and said eCommerce sales rose ~20%, showing strength in higher-margin channels that support future profit expansion. Earnings snapshot: Kroger beats Q4
• Positive Sentiment: FY26 guidance raised above Street — Kroger set FY26 EPS guidance of $5.10–$5.30 versus a ~$5.00 consensus, signaling management expects mid-single-digit EPS growth and giving a clearer earnings path. Kroger Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns and buyback acceleration — Kroger completed a $7.5B repurchase program (including a $5B accelerated buyback) and approved an additional $2B authorization, which supports EPS and signals capital-return priority. PR Newswire: Results and Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: eCommerce profitability plan — Management completed an eCommerce strategic review and expects ~$400M of operating profit improvement in 2026 and a path to eCommerce profitability, reducing a prior major drag on margins. PR Newswire: eCommerce review
• Neutral Sentiment: Top-line and margin context — Identical sales (ex-fuel) rose 2.4% in Q4 and FY25 adjusted results show operating profit recovery after prior charges; growth is positive but modest vs. investor expectations for a bigger rebound. Kroger in charts: Identical sales up 2.4%
• Neutral Sentiment: Leadership and strategic moves — Greg Foran named CEO and Kroger is expanding private-label and automation initiatives (drones for inventory), which are strategic positives but will take time to convert to material earnings. PR Newswire: CEO appointment and strategy
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and labor risks — Kroger faces class-action suits over e-commerce worker classification and heightened union conflict (Teamsters accusations), which could raise future labor costs or settlement risk. Grocery Dive: eCommerce lawsuits
• Negative Sentiment: Operational disruption and recalls — Store closures/layoffs and expansion of food recalls (including frozen items tied to Kroger/Trader Joe’s supply chains) add near-term cost and reputational risk. TheStreet: store closures
• Negative Sentiment: Investor reaction & valuation — Despite beats and buybacks, KR shares dipped as investors weighed a cautious tone on growth, prior one-time impairments ($2.5B) that hit GAAP results, and a rich P/E that leaves little room for disappointment. Blockonomi: stock dips despite results

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kroger

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 1.2% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 31,948,112 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,153,622,000 after buying an additional 386,503 shares during the last quarter. GQG Partners LLC boosted its position in Kroger by 11.3% in the 4th quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 13,398,072 shares of the company’s stock worth $837,113,000 after purchasing an additional 1,360,946 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 12,242,401 shares of the company’s stock worth $764,932,000 after purchasing an additional 122,606 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 6,816,240 shares of the company’s stock worth $425,879,000 after purchasing an additional 489,058 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 6,076,142 shares of the company’s stock valued at $379,637,000 after purchasing an additional 216,728 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger Company Profile

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.