Kroger (NYSE:KR) Given Buy Rating at Guggenheim

Kroger (NYSE:KR)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reissued by Guggenheim in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $78.00 price target on the stock. Guggenheim’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 13.08% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on KR. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 target price for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Kroger in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $70.00 target price (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.07.

Kroger Trading Down 1.6%

Shares of KR traded down $1.12 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $68.98. 763,701 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,937,728. Kroger has a fifty-two week low of $58.60 and a fifty-two week high of $74.90. The business has a 50-day moving average of $63.07 and a 200-day moving average of $66.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 63.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.45.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kroger

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KR. Forsta AP Fonden increased its holdings in Kroger by 150.5% during the 4th quarter. Forsta AP Fonden now owns 332,900 shares of the company’s stock worth $20,800,000 after purchasing an additional 200,000 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $470,561,000. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. purchased a new position in shares of Kroger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $8,318,000. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac bought a new stake in Kroger during the fourth quarter worth $3,970,000. Finally, National Pension Service raised its position in Kroger by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. National Pension Service now owns 1,469,005 shares of the company’s stock valued at $91,783,000 after buying an additional 29,347 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Appointment of Greg Foran — Kroger named the ex‑Walmart U.S. and Air New Zealand executive as CEO and a board member; investors view his operational experience (turning around Walmart’s grocery unit) as a catalyst to improve Kroger’s execution, e‑commerce and cost efficiency. Kroger shares jump on appointment of new CEO
• Positive Sentiment: Official company release and board move — Kroger’s PR release confirms Foran is effective immediately and succeeds interim CEO Ron Sargent, removing uncertainty from the CEO search and giving the market a clear leadership plan. Kroger Appoints Greg Foran as Chief Executive Officer
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” and set an $80 price target, providing third‑party validation for upside from operational improvements and growth initiatives. Telsey Advisory Group $80 price target (summary)
• Neutral Sentiment: Market reaction — Premarket and intraday coverage showed shares surging after the announcement (jumping 6–8% in early trading), reflecting relief and optimism but subject to short‑term profit taking. Kroger shares jump on appointment of new CEO Greg Foran
• Negative Sentiment: Compensation and cost considerations — Coverage notes Foran will be among the region’s highest‑paid executives; higher CEO pay could temper near‑term margin improvements if incentive packages are substantial. New Kroger CEO Greg Foran will be among region’s highest paid
• Neutral Sentiment: Context: governance and strategy — The hire follows a year‑long search after prior leadership changes; while it reduces leadership risk, investors will watch execution on pricing, private label, AI/e‑commerce and store expansion for sustained upside. Kroger picks former Walmart executive as first external CEO

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.