Kroger (NYSE:KR) Price Target Raised to $71.00

Kroger (NYSE:KR) had its target price increased by Citigroup from $68.00 to $71.00 in a research note published on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded Kroger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $70.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their price target on Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Barclays restated a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $70.00 price objective (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Eight equities research 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, Kroger has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $74.56.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of KR opened at $72.16 on Monday. Kroger has a 12-month low of $58.60 and a 12-month high of $74.90. The stock has a market cap of $45.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.17, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The company has a 50-day moving average of $65.95 and a two-hundred day moving average of $65.93.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a net margin of 0.69% and a return on equity of 41.08%. The business had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.14 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Kroger will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were given a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 91.50%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kroger

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of KR. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in 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 last quarter. Finally, Avalon Trust Co acquired a new position in Kroger in the third quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Evercore raised its price target on KR to $83 and reiterated an Outperform rating, citing the company’s guidance for modest comparable‑sales growth (1%–2%) for 2026 — a near‑term analyst vote of confidence. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup published a bullish forecast for Kroger, highlighting upside potential in the stock — supportive for medium‑term price appreciation if execution continues. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: New CEO Greg Foran outlined five growth priorities and pledged changes to boost customer loyalty; Kroger also relaunched a Customer Appreciation Week with daily digital deals — these moves aim to drive traffic and margin improvement. Article Title Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger won new retail placements from CPG brands (example: Hurray’s GIRL BEER expanding into Kroger), which can incrementally boost assortment and non‑food sales. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Ocado, whose exclusive technical relationship with Kroger ended last year, is pitching a scaled‑down store‑based automation model to other U.S. retailers — signals about third‑party automation partners but not an immediate operational hit to Kroger. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Market pieces assessing Kroger’s valuation note solid earnings/guide and capital returns versus recent rally — useful context that helps explain mixed analyst views on upside from current levels. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Seeking Alpha published a downgrade: while acknowledging strong e‑commerce growth, the piece argues Kroger looks fairly valued after its rally — negative for sentiment and a potential headwind if other analysts follow. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The USDA expanded a recall of frozen fried rice that includes Kroger‑branded product SKUs — a small but tangible operational/recall cost and reputational item to monitor. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Several local crime incidents at Kroger locations (attempted assaults, robberies, and customers fending off attackers) have been reported across markets — potential reputational and local security costs if trends persist. Article Title Article Title

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.