DailyIQ
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Sector:Consumer DefensiveAll sectors
Last updated 34 minutes ago

KR·The Kroger Co.

$.
+. (+.%)
High
$65.79
Open
$64.78
Market Cap
41.46B
52W High
$76.58
Low
$64.35
P. Close
$64.55
P/E
40.81
52W Low
$58.60
Fwd P/E
40.75
Mean Target
$75.55
Technical Score (1D)
23
SELL
News Sentiment
60
BULLISH
Kroger is preparing for its first-quarter earnings call on June 18th, where management will discuss financial and operational performance. This comes as the company's CEO, Greg Foran, is implementing a significant price-cutting strategy across thousands of products to enhance competitiveness against rivals like Walmart and Costco. This aggressive move, which includes direct merchandise importing and technology-driven cost savings, aims to recapture market share and attract budget-conscious shoppers amid persistent inflationary pressures. Consumers have seen grocery spending nearly double since 2010, making affordability a key concern. In parallel, Kroger is also enhancing its beauty product assortment, leveraging existing store traffic to diversify revenue streams and capture incremental sales. This strategic expansion into beauty reflects an effort to capitalize on opportunities within its customer base. The company's public reputation has also seen a notable improvement, climbing to #27 in the Axios Harris Poll 100. Meanwhile, the retirement of Senior VP Valerie Jabbar after 38 years marks the end of a long tenure for a key executive. Investors are positioning around the upcoming earnings report and dividend news, with the stock showing an intrinsic discount relative to analyst targets.
Earnings Summary
The Kroger Co. is a major U.S. retailer operating a wide array of store formats, including combination food and drug stores, multi-department stores, and price impact warehouse stores, alongside fuel centers and internal food manufacturing. The company operates within the Consumer Defensive sector, specifically in the Grocery Stores industry, offering a broad range of groceries, pharmacy services, and general merchandise. In its recent earnings history, Kroger demonstrated a pattern of exceeding analyst expectations for Earnings Per Share (EPS). For Q4 2024, actual EPS of $1.14 surpassed an estimate of $1.11241, and for Q1 2025, actual EPS of $1.49 exceeded the estimate of $1.45747. This trend continued into Q2 2025 with actual EPS of $1.04 beating the estimate of $0.99762, and in Q3 2025, actual EPS of $1.05 was slightly above the estimate of $1.0326. While revenue estimates were not consistently provided for these quarters, the EPS beats suggest a positive performance against analyst projections. Looking at the historical trajectory, Kroger has shown a consistent ability to meet or beat EPS estimates in the recent quarters for which data is available. The company has a streak of beating EPS estimates in the last four reported quarters, indicating a reliable performance against analyst expectations. While specific year-over-year revenue growth trends are not fully detailed across all periods due to missing revenue estimates, the consistent EPS beats suggest underlying operational strength. Recent news indicates Kroger's new CEO is implementing a strategy of broad price cuts to compete with rivals like Walmart and Amazon, aiming to regain market share through affordability, funded by direct importing and technology. This aggressive pricing strategy is being watched closely by investors, especially as the stock has recently underperformed. Additionally, Kroger has been recognized in the Axios Harris Poll 100 as a trusted company, highlighting its strong consumer perception and community engagement, including its Zero Hunger | Zero Waste program. However, the company is also facing pressure regarding its cage-free egg sourcing commitments. Moving forward, investors will be watching for the impact of Kroger's new pricing strategy on its market share and profitability in the upcoming quarters. Key will be the company's ability to balance aggressive price cuts with cost-saving measures to maintain or improve margins. Additionally, continued focus on operational efficiency and consumer trust, as evidenced by its strong reputation rankings, will be important watch points.

EPS

EstBeatMiss
$0.91$1.10$1.29$1.48$1.67Q4'24Q1'25Q2'25Q3'25Q4'25
QtrEstActual+/−
Q4'25$1.58 - -
Q3'25$1.03$1.05+1.7%
Q2'25$1.00$1.04+4.2%
Q1'25$1.46$1.49+2.2%
Q4'24$1.11$1.14+2.5%

Revenue

EstBeatMiss
$32.1B$35.9B$39.6B$43.3B$47.1BQ4'24Q1'25Q2'25Q3'25Q4'25
QtrEstActual+/−
Q4'25$45.3B - -
Q3'25 - $33.9B -
Q2'25 - $33.9B -
Q1'25 - $45.1B -
Q4'24 - $34.3B -
Full Earnings BreakdownEstimates, actuals, guidance, and historical context
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Market Data

KR Stock Snapshot

KR is currently trading at $65.48, giving The Kroger Co. a market cap of 41.46B and a P/E ratio of 40.8. Today's range spans $64.35–$65.79, with shares opening at $64.78 and moving up $0.93 (1.4%) from the prior close. DailyIQ's technical score sits at 23/100 (SELL) with a news sentiment reading of 60/100.

Over the past year KR has traded between $58.60 and $76.58 - the current price is +11.7% off the 52-week low and -14.5% from the high. 35 analysts cover the stock with a Hold consensus and a mean 12-month target of $75.55 (range $61.00–$86.00), implying upside of +15.4%.

Short sellers have a clear thesis in KR - large-cap, Consumer Defensive, 41.46B market cap. Score: 23/100 (SELL). Sentiment: bullish (60/100). Price: $65.48 (in the lower half of its 52-week range). The current P/E ratio stands at 40.8. At this capitalization tier, the borrow is relatively easy, the liquidity absorbs the size, and the technical confirmation provides a clean stop-out level. The 52-week range of $58.60–$76.58 establishes the structural target zones - and the SELL signal is the systematic entry trigger.

The current SELL phase for KR (23/100) at $65.48 (in the lower half of its 52-week range) suggests that the market is discounting either a fundamental deterioration or a sector headwind that hasn't fully appeared in the earnings line yet. Sentiment at 60/100 (bullish) confirms that news flow is not providing a counternarrative. At 41.46B in Consumer Defensive capitalization, KR has the liquidity for institutional exits to be orderly — but orderly doesn't mean shallow within the $58.60–$76.58 range.