Kroger (NYSE:KR) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Kroger (NYSE:KR) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 5.100-5.300 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 5.270. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KR has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded Kroger from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 price objective on Kroger in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $68.00 target price on Kroger in a report on Wednesday. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $71.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, June 19th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $71.31.

Kroger Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $56.87 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $34.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.45, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. Kroger has a 12-month low of $54.15 and a 12-month high of $76.58. The business’s 50 day moving average is $57.78 and its 200 day moving average is $63.69.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The company had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $45.59 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.49 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Kroger will post 5.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th were issued a $0.39 dividend. This is an increase from Kroger’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 91.76%.

Kroger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Digital and retail-media momentum remained strong. Adjusted eCommerce sales grew 20%, while Kroger Precision Marketing profit increased 24%, supporting the company’s higher-margin growth initiatives. Kroger Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results and Updates Guidance for 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability exceeded the anticipated adjusted EPS result. Kroger reported adjusted EPS of $1.09, versus the $1.05 expectation cited ahead of the release, and adjusted FIFO operating profit of $1.076 billion. Kroger Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results and Updates Guidance for 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Core sales were nearly flat. Identical sales excluding fuel rose just 0.2%, indicating limited underlying traffic or volume growth despite continued grocery demand.
• Negative Sentiment: Full-year EPS guidance was set at $5.10-$5.30, with a midpoint of $5.20 below the $5.27 consensus estimate. This leaves limited room for upside and reinforces concerns about cautious consumer spending, pharmacy headwinds and rising operating costs.
• Negative Sentiment: Pre-release positioning had been cautious. Several analysts had reduced price targets, while options pricing implied potential post-earnings weakness. Kroger’s stock has also lagged the broader market over the past year, increasing investor sensitivity to execution and forward guidance.
• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion provides a longer-term growth catalyst. Kroger is planning a new North Texas Marketplace location, continuing grocery investment in a growing regional market. Kroger planning new store in North Texas

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kroger

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in Kroger by 27.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,733 shares of the company’s stock worth $962,000 after acquiring an additional 3,373 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP lifted its holdings in Kroger by 40.7% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 56,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,807,000 after purchasing an additional 16,270 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Kroger during the second quarter worth about $201,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Kroger by 11.5% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 97,288 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,978,000 after purchasing an additional 10,051 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the second quarter worth about $1,840,000. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Kroger Company Profile

The Kroger Co (NYSE: KR) is one of the largest grocery retailers in the United States. Founded in Cincinnati in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, the company operates supermarkets, multi-department stores, pharmacies, convenience stores and fuel centers across the country.

Kroger sells a broad range of fresh foods, packaged groceries, household products, health and beauty items, prepared foods and general merchandise. Its private-label offerings include Simple Truth, Private Selection and Kroger brands.