Valued at a market cap of $41.2 billion, The Kroger Co. (KR) operates a wide range of store formats, including supermarkets, multi-department stores, marketplace locations, and warehouses offering groceries, pharmaceuticals, and general merchandise. It also produces its own food products and sells fuel, serving customers through physical stores, fuel centers, and online platforms.
The Cincinnati, Ohio-based company is expected to announce its fiscal Q1 2026 results soon. Ahead of this event, analysts forecast KR to post an adjusted EPS of $1.58, up over 6% from $1.49 in the year-ago quarter. It has surpassed Wall Street's earnings estimates in the last four quarters.
For fiscal 2026, analysts expect the grocery retail giant to report an adjusted EPS of $5.24, a rise of over 8% from $4.85 in fiscal 2025.
Shares of Kroger have declined 4.4% over the past 52 weeks, lagging behind the S&P 500 Index's ($SPX) 29.6% increase and the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF's (XLP) 2.8% return over the same period.
Shares of Kroger rose 5.3% on Mar. 5 mainly as the company delivered stronger-than-expected Q4 2025 adjusted EPS of $1.28 and operating profit jumping to $1,246 million from $912 million. Investors were also encouraged by solid business momentum, including 2.4% identical sales growth (ex-fuel), a 20% surge in adjusted eCommerce sales, and full-year adjusted EPS of $4.85 with $4.9 billion in adjusted FIFO operating profit.
Additionally, optimistic 2026 guidance, projecting adjusted EPS of $5.10 - $5.30 and adjusted FIFO operating profit of $5 billion - $5.2 billion.
Analysts' consensus view on KR stock is cautiously optimistic, with a "Moderate Buy" rating overall. Among 23 analysts covering the stock, 12 recommend "Strong Buy" and 11 suggest "Hold." The average analyst price target is $76.43, indicating a potential upside of 14.6% from the current levels.
On the date of publication, Sohini Mondal did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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