The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Stock Has Average Price Target of $69.00

Shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the nineteen ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $69.00.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on KR. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $58.00 price objective on Kroger in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Evercore set a $70.00 price target on Kroger in a research report on Monday, September 14th.

Kroger Trading Down 0.3%

KR stock opened at $58.75 on Tuesday. Kroger has a 52 week low of $54.15 and a 52 week high of $76.58. The company has a market capitalization of $34.70 billion, a PE ratio of 31.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.41. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $57.99 and its 200 day simple moving average is $63.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 0.70.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.04. Kroger had a net margin of 0.73% and a return on equity of 49.90%. The business had revenue of $34.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.64 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.04 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Kroger will post 5.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 84.78%.

Trending Headlines about Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger continues investing in customer engagement and alternative revenue streams. A new rewards credit card, planned Dunkin’ kiosks in Houston-area stores, AI-assisted employee and customer-service initiatives, and the reopening of a Tennessee store could support loyalty, traffic and higher-margin opportunities. Kroger Launches New Credit Card
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is testing 24-hour shopping at select Ohio and Indiana locations, a move that could improve convenience and capture additional shopping trips if the pilot is economically viable. Analysts also cite omnichannel sales, loyalty programs, private-label products and new retail profit pools as industry catalysts. Kroger Tests Return to 24-Hour Stores
• Neutral Sentiment: President of Kroger Health Colleen Lindholz plans to retire after 31 years. The announcement creates a leadership transition, although her long tenure may allow for an orderly succession; no successor or financial impact was provided. Colleen Lindholz Announces Retirement
• Neutral Sentiment: A major pizza supplier serving Kroger and Costco is closing additional restaurants. The development is indirect and is unlikely to materially affect Kroger unless it disrupts supply or reduces prepared-food offerings. Pizza Supplier Closes More Restaurants
• Negative Sentiment: ALDI is expanding its ready-made meal offering to compete for shoppers seeking inexpensive, convenient dinners. The move adds pressure to Kroger’s prices, traffic and margins amid a value-focused consumer environment. ALDI Makes New Move to Win Shoppers
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of renewed questions over pricing accuracy and protests at Kroger’s headquarters related to cage-free eggs create reputational and potential compliance risks, though the immediate financial effect appears limited. Kroger Faces Questions Over Pricing Accuracy
• Negative Sentiment: A dividend comparison notes that Kroger’s higher yield may reflect greater payout durability concerns than Walmart’s. That could temper income-investor enthusiasm despite the attractive headline yield. Walmart and Kroger Dividend Comparison

Insider Activity at Kroger

In other news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total value of $4,425,090.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 175,233 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,636,643.10. The trade was a 29.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Kroger by 5.3% in the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 195,088 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,833,000 after buying an additional 9,877 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. raised its stake in Kroger by 10.3% during the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 5,945 shares of the company’s stock worth $330,000 after acquiring an additional 556 shares in the last quarter. MCF Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 3.5% in the second quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 13,391 shares of the company’s stock worth $744,000 after acquiring an additional 457 shares during the last quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 537.2% in the second quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 117,646 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,533,000 after acquiring an additional 99,183 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cidel Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 9.1% in the 2nd quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 13,614 shares of the company’s stock valued at $756,000 after purchasing an additional 1,130 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.