Kroger (NYSE:KR) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Kroger (NYSE:KR) was downgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

KR has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 price objective (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, March 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Kroger from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Kroger from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Thursday. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $75.12.

Kroger Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $56.57 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.65 billion, a PE ratio of 33.27, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.42. Kroger has a twelve month low of $56.32 and a twelve month high of $76.58. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $65.51 and its 200 day moving average price is $66.33. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 18th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $46.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $45.59 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 44.33%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.49 EPS. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.30 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Kroger will post 5.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. lifted its stake in Kroger by 45.5% during the 3rd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 855,810 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,690,000 after acquiring an additional 267,434 shares in the last quarter. Westpac Banking Corp increased its stake in Kroger by 126.2% during the third quarter. Westpac Banking Corp now owns 35,667 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,404,000 after purchasing an additional 19,898 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its position in shares of Kroger by 16.2% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,063,474 shares of the company’s stock worth $139,099,000 after purchasing an additional 287,755 shares in the last quarter. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd lifted its position in shares of Kroger by 18.1% during the third quarter. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd now owns 150,356 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,135,000 after purchasing an additional 23,027 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JCP Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kroger in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,773,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue came in above expectations at $46.12 billion, and Kroger said identical sales excluding fuel rose 1.0%, showing demand for groceries and essentials remains resilient. Kroger Q1 Earnings Miss Despite Revenue Beat & E-commerce Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Digital growth was a bright spot: e-commerce sales increased 19%, and Kroger’s media segment turned profitable, which supports the company’s longer-term growth strategy. The Kroger Co (KR) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong eCommerce Growth and Profitability …
• Neutral Sentiment: Management reaffirmed full-year guidance, which may calm some investors, but it was not enough to offset concerns about near-term profitability. Kroger Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary is split, with some viewing the selloff as a value opportunity while others say margin pressure and cautious consumers make the stock less attractive in the near term. Why Kroger’s Pullback Could Be a Gift for Patient Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Adjusted EPS of $1.58 missed estimates by a penny, and investors reacted strongly to signs that pricing investments and higher operating costs are pressuring margins. Kroger Q1 Earnings Miss Despite Revenue Beat & E-commerce Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Several reports noted that consumers are under pressure and that Kroger’s cost growth is outrunning sales growth, which is the main reason shares sold off after earnings. Kroger beats quarterly sales estimates

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.