Kroger (NYSE:KR) Reaches New 52-Week Low on Disappointing Earnings

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) hit a new 52-week low on Thursday following a dissappointing earnings announcement. The company traded as low as $56.80 and last traded at $57.7690, with a volume of 406438 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $61.82.

The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The business had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.59 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.49 earnings per share. Kroger’s revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger beat Wall Street’s sales estimate with revenue of about $46.1 billion, helped by steady demand for groceries and essentials, stronger delivery services, and continued e-commerce growth. Reuters: Kroger beats quarterly sales estimates
• Positive Sentiment: The company maintained its full-year 2026 guidance, which suggests management still sees its outlook as intact despite a cautious consumer environment. PR Newswire: Kroger Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Identical sales excluding fuel rose 1.0%, and adjusted eCommerce sales grew 19%, showing that Kroger’s core grocery business and digital channels are still expanding. PR Newswire: Kroger Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: The quarter was broadly in line with expectations overall, with adjusted EPS of $1.58 versus the $1.59 consensus, a small miss that still signaled relatively stable profitability. Zacks: Kroger Q1 Earnings Miss Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Shares are being hit by concerns that Kroger’s price cuts to win shoppers back may compress margins, especially after management signaled heavier investment in pricing. Yahoo Finance: Kroger meets earnings expectations, revenue tops estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst commentary ahead of the report was cautious, with recent headlines emphasizing weaker food sales trends and margin risk, adding to the negative pre-earnings tone. Quiver Quantitative: Why Kroger shares are falling today

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on KR. Wells Fargo & Company lowered Kroger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $70.00 to $68.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, June 1st. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $70.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 4th. Finally, Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 price target (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.67.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KR. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new position in Kroger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 268.1% in the fourth quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 303 shares during the period. Finally, Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger in the first quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Stock Performance

The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $66.12 and its 200-day moving average price is $66.48. The firm has a market cap of $35.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.84, a P/E/G ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.42.

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.