The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Receives $74.07 Consensus Target Price from Analysts

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) has earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the fifteen ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eight have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $74.0714.

Several research firms have recently commented on KR. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $80.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday. Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $68.00 target price (down previously from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $70.00 target price (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Evercore set a $77.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, December 29th.

Key Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board taps Greg Foran (ex‑Walmart US, former Air New Zealand CEO) to lead Kroger; his track record on store operations and execution is being credited with restoring investor confidence. Fortune profile of Greg Foran
• Positive Sentiment: Shares have rallied on the CEO news and analysts have reaffirmed bullish views (Guggenheim reasserted a buy rating with a $78 target; Telsey reiterated Outperform), supporting further upside if execution follows. Benzinga note on analyst ratings
• Positive Sentiment: Market narrative now favors operational fixes over acquisitions: Kroger’s write‑downs on automated fulfillment centers have “cleared the decks,” and management is shifting to a hybrid, store‑based fulfillment model that Street analysts estimate could add roughly $400M of e‑commerce profitability in 2026. Seeking Alpha: time for re‑rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger remains shareholder‑friendly: recent accelerated buybacks and an upcoming ex‑dividend date keep income investors engaged, but these are supportive rather than transformational. (Company filings/coverage)
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger plans to close two Houston‑area stores in April as part of “long‑term health” moves — a short‑term negative for sales in those markets but consistent with a cost/portfolio optimization play. Yahoo: Houston store closures
• Negative Sentiment: Local resistance to some new store proposals (e.g., walkability concerns west of Kalamazoo) may slow expansion projects and complicate site selection. MSN: Kalamazoo walkability concerns

Kroger Price Performance

Kroger stock opened at $68.72 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.45. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $63.14 and a 200-day simple moving average of $66.13. Kroger has a 12 month low of $58.60 and a 12 month high of $74.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.49 billion, a PE ratio of 63.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.62.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $33.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.27 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.54% and a return on equity of 38.06%. Kroger’s revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.98 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Kroger will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 129.63%.

Institutional Trading of Kroger

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in shares of Kroger by 61.1% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 33,367,551 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,249,307,000 after buying an additional 12,652,261 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at $470,561,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH increased its stake in Kroger by 66.6% in the third quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 5,255,084 shares of the company’s stock valued at $354,245,000 after purchasing an additional 2,100,444 shares during the last quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC lifted its position in Kroger by 299.6% during the second quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 2,420,495 shares of the company’s stock worth $173,622,000 after buying an additional 1,814,721 shares during the period. Finally, VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new stake in Kroger in the 2nd quarter worth about $120,965,000. 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.