Kroger’s (KR) Outperform Rating Reiterated at Telsey Advisory Group

Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed their outperform rating on shares of Kroger (NYSE:KR) in a research report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $80.00 target price on the stock.

KR has been the subject of a number of other reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 27th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $70.00 price target (down previously from $78.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, Barclays reiterated a “positive” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday. Eight 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.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.07.

Kroger Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $68.72 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $63.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $66.13. 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 has a 1-year low of $58.60 and a 1-year high of $74.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 63.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.62.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.27 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.98 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Kroger will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

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

Institutional Trading of Kroger

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KR. Bank of Nova Scotia boosted its position in shares of Kroger by 102.5% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 168,395 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,079,000 after purchasing an additional 85,223 shares in the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd lifted its stake in Kroger by 2,313.4% during the second quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 138,915 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,964,000 after purchasing an additional 133,159 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in Kroger by 43.4% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 72,244 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,870,000 after buying an additional 21,876 shares in the last quarter. AdvisorShares Investments LLC acquired a new position in Kroger in the second quarter worth approximately $480,000. Finally, Liberty One Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kroger by 85.0% in the third quarter. Liberty One Investment Management LLC now owns 857,667 shares of the company’s stock valued at $57,828,000 after buying an additional 394,060 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board taps Greg Foran (ex‑Walmart US, former Air New Zealand CEO) to lead Kroger; his track record on store operations and execution is being credited with restoring investor confidence. Fortune profile of Greg Foran
• Positive Sentiment: Shares have rallied on the CEO news and analysts have reaffirmed bullish views (Guggenheim reasserted a buy rating with a $78 target; Telsey reiterated Outperform), supporting further upside if execution follows. Benzinga note on analyst ratings
• Positive Sentiment: Market narrative now favors operational fixes over acquisitions: Kroger’s write‑downs on automated fulfillment centers have “cleared the decks,” and management is shifting to a hybrid, store‑based fulfillment model that Street analysts estimate could add roughly $400M of e‑commerce profitability in 2026. Seeking Alpha: time for re‑rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger remains shareholder‑friendly: recent accelerated buybacks and an upcoming ex‑dividend date keep income investors engaged, but these are supportive rather than transformational. (Company filings/coverage)
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger plans to close two Houston‑area stores in April as part of “long‑term health” moves — a short‑term negative for sales in those markets but consistent with a cost/portfolio optimization play. Yahoo: Houston store closures
• Negative Sentiment: Local resistance to some new store proposals (e.g., walkability concerns west of Kalamazoo) may slow expansion projects and complicate site selection. MSN: Kalamazoo walkability concerns

About Kroger

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.