Kroger’s (KR) “Buy” Rating Reiterated at Guggenheim

Guggenheim reissued their buy rating on shares of Kroger (NYSE:KR) in a report released on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $78.00 target price on the stock.

KR has been the topic of several other research reports. Morgan Stanley set a $67.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating and set a $68.00 target price (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $70.00 price target (down previously from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a report on Friday, December 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Barclays reaffirmed a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kroger has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.07.

Kroger Trading Up 2.2%

KR opened at $70.15 on Tuesday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $63.28 and its two-hundred day moving average is $66.16. The firm has a market cap of $44.39 billion, a PE ratio of 64.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.62. Kroger has a twelve month low of $58.60 and a twelve month high of $74.90. 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 released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $33.86 billion during 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%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.98 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Kroger will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. Kroger’s payout ratio is presently 129.63%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kroger

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. FineMark National Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Kroger in the fourth quarter valued at about $310,000. Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. grew its stake in Kroger by 124.6% in the fourth quarter. Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. now owns 141,783 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,859,000 after purchasing an additional 78,667 shares in the last quarter. Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec increased its position in shares of Kroger by 30.2% during the 4th quarter. Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec now owns 169,517 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,588,000 after purchasing an additional 39,293 shares during the last quarter. DRW Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $509,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group boosted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 9.4% in the 4th quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 20,936 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,313,000 after buying an additional 1,807 shares during the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kroger News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Greg Foran named new CEO — a well‑known retail operator with a track record of turning around large store fleets; markets view his hire as a shift from M&A toward operational execution, which has lifted confidence in Kroger’s standalone outlook. Meet the serial CEO taking over Kroger
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and investors are upbeat — Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an Outperform and some firms raised price targets, citing Foran’s credibility and potential margin improvement from a shift to a hybrid e‑commerce model and better store execution. Telsey Advisory Group Reiterates Outperform Rating for Kroger
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate actions supporting shareholder returns — recent buyback activity and an upcoming ex‑dividend date reinforce cash-return commitment, an important tailwind for income investors. MarketBeat KR overview
• Neutral Sentiment: Planned store closures in Houston — Kroger will close two more Houston‑area stores (following prior 2025 closures); management frames this as a long‑term health/realignment move but it removes local sales footprint and may pressure near‑term comps in those markets. Kroger to close 2 more Houston-area locations
• Neutral Sentiment: Store reopening after temporary closure — an isolated reopening (Worthington Mall) signals localized operational normalization rather than a material companywide shift. Kroger at Worthington Mall reopens
• Negative Sentiment: Product recall update — Kroger has issued recalls affecting multiple items across the U.S.; while typically manageable, recalls can dent near‑term margins, increase shrink/operational costs and weigh on foot traffic if issues persist. Kroger Recall Update for Multiple Items Across US

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.