The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seventeen brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $74.1875.

KR has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Roth Mkm raised Kroger from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $66.00 to $75.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. Barclays set a $68.00 price target on shares of Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $70.00 price objective (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, December 27th.

Kroger Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of KR stock opened at $62.44 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $39.52 billion, a PE ratio of 57.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.61. Kroger has a 52-week low of $58.12 and a 52-week high of $74.90. The business’s fifty day moving average is $63.77 and its 200 day moving average is $67.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.88.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $33.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.27 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.54% and a return on equity of 38.06%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.98 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Kroger will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank published bullish coverage on Kroger, a catalyst that can lift investor sentiment and buying interest. Deutsche Bank is Bullish on The Kroger Co. (KR)
• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is scaling generative AI with Google Cloud (Gemini) and launching an AI-driven shopping agent to personalize experiences—moves that can improve customer retention, basket sizes and operational efficiency over time. Kroger taps Google Gemini, announces more key AI moves
• Positive Sentiment: New customer promotions—like a program offering 20% off fresh produce—aim to drive traffic and recurring trips, supporting same-store sales momentum even if margin pressure is possible. Kroger launches new program offering 20% off fresh produce
• Positive Sentiment: Research/ratings outlets are flagging Kroger as a value opportunity, which can attract income and value-focused funds. Kroger (KR) is a Top-Ranked Value Stock: Should You Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger published its top-six food trends for 2026 (e.g., dairy resurgence, ethnic flavors), a marketing and merchandising roadmap that can influence product mix and private-label launches but has a gradual impact on sales. Kroger Reveals Food Trend Predictions of 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple press releases and trade stories detail senior leadership promotions and reorganizations (Victor Smith named SVP of Retail Divisions). Leadership continuity can help execution but is a medium-term factor. Kroger Announces Key Leader Updates
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger plans to close 60 stores across 14 states after a $24.6B merger collapsed—a near-term headwind that may trigger shutdown costs, asset write-offs and local revenue loss even if it reduces longer-term footprint overlap. Kroger to close 60 stores in 14 states after $24.6B merger falls apart

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC raised its holdings in Kroger by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC now owns 8,025 shares of the company’s stock worth $576,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the period. PDS Planning Inc raised its holdings in Kroger by 2.0% during the second quarter. PDS Planning Inc now owns 7,715 shares of the company’s stock valued at $553,000 after acquiring an additional 152 shares during the period. Cairn Investment Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Kroger by 0.3% in the second quarter. Cairn Investment Group Inc. now owns 58,902 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,225,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares during the period. Independent Wealth Network Inc. raised its stake in Kroger by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Independent Wealth Network Inc. now owns 19,312 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,385,000 after purchasing an additional 164 shares during the period. Finally, WESPAC Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Kroger by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. WESPAC Advisors LLC now owns 13,585 shares of the company’s stock worth $916,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

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.