tiprankstipranks
Trending News
More News >
Kroger Company (KR)
NYSE:KR

Kroger Company (KR) AI Stock Analysis

Compare
5,043 Followers

Top Page

KR

Kroger Company

(NYSE:KR)

Select Model
Select Model
Select Model
Neutral 56 (OpenAI - 4o)
Rating:56Neutral
Price Target:
$65.00
▲(4.35% Upside)
Kroger's overall stock score is driven by strong revenue growth and cash flow generation, but offset by challenges in profitability and high leverage. Technical analysis indicates bearish momentum, and valuation suggests overvaluation with a high P/E ratio. The earnings call highlights positive e-commerce growth and expansion plans, but also notes challenges such as fulfillment center closures and economic pressures.
Positive Factors
E-commerce Growth
Consistent e-commerce growth positions Kroger to capitalize on the increasing shift towards online grocery shopping, enhancing long-term revenue potential.
Expansion Plans
Expanding store footprint indicates strategic growth and increased market presence, potentially boosting sales and customer reach over time.
Cash Flow Generation
Strong cash flow generation enhances financial flexibility, allowing Kroger to invest in growth initiatives and manage debt effectively.
Negative Factors
High Leverage
Increased leverage raises financial risk, potentially limiting Kroger's ability to invest in growth and impacting long-term financial stability.
Profit Margin Decline
Declining profit margins suggest challenges in cost management and pricing power, potentially affecting long-term profitability.
Fulfillment Center Closures
Closure of fulfillment centers indicates operational challenges, potentially disrupting e-commerce efficiency and impacting future growth.

Kroger Company (KR) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Kroger Company Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionThe Kroger Co. operates as a retailer in the United States. The company operates combination food and drug stores, multi-department stores, marketplace stores, and price impact warehouses. Its combination food and drug stores offer natural food and organic sections, pharmacies, general merchandise, pet centers, fresh seafood, and organic produce; and multi-department stores provide apparel, home fashion and furnishings, outdoor living, electronics, automotive products, and toys. The company's marketplace stores offer full-service grocery, pharmacy, health and beauty care, and perishable goods, as well as general merchandise, including apparel, home goods, and toys; and price impact warehouse stores provide grocery, and health and beauty care items, as well as meat, dairy, baked goods, and fresh produce items. It also manufactures and processes food products for sale in its supermarkets and online; and sells fuel through 1,613 fuel centers. As of January 29, 2022, the company operated 2,726 supermarkets under various banner names in 35 states and the District of Columbia. The Kroger Co. was founded in 1883 and is based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
How the Company Makes MoneyKroger generates revenue primarily through the sale of groceries and other merchandise in its stores. The company's revenue model is based on a combination of food and non-food sales, with key revenue streams including fresh produce, meat, dairy, bakery items, and pharmacy sales. Kroger also earns income from its private label products, which have higher margins compared to national brands. Additionally, the company benefits from loyalty programs and promotional partnerships that drive customer engagement and repeat sales. Kroger's partnerships with technology companies for online and delivery services further enhance its revenue potential, tapping into the growing demand for e-commerce in the grocery sector.

Kroger Company Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Store Count
Store Count
Indicates the total number of retail locations, highlighting the company's market reach and potential for customer engagement. A growing store count can signal expansion and increased market penetration.
Chart InsightsKroger's store count has been declining since 2019, but 2024 marks a reversal with a slight increase. This aligns with the company's strategic focus on digital sales and operational excellence, as highlighted in their earnings call. The completion of 30 major store projects in 2025 suggests a renewed emphasis on physical retail presence. Despite challenges like flat EPS and lower fuel profitability, Kroger's investments in digital growth and alternative profit businesses indicate a balanced approach to expansion and profitability.
Data provided by:The Fly

Kroger Company Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Dec 04, 2025
(Q3-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Mar 05, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
The earnings call reflects a balanced view with significant achievements in e-commerce growth and profitability, strong performance in pharmacy, and expansion plans. However, there are notable challenges, such as the closure of fulfillment centers, the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act, and economic pressures affecting sales.
Q3-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
E-commerce Growth and Profitability
E-commerce sales grew by 17% this quarter, led by delivery. The company expects approximately $400 million in e-commerce profitability improvements in 2026, making the e-commerce business profitable.
Strong Performance in Pharmacy
Pharmacy sales continued to grow, contributing positively to gross profit dollars and supporting overall operating profit.
Expansion Plans and Store Openings
The company plans to accelerate capital investment in new stores beyond 2025, with expectations to break ground on 14 new stores in the fourth quarter, marking a meaningful acceleration in activity.
Improved Market Share Trends
The company delivered share trend improvement again this quarter, reflecting progress in strengthening its competitive position.
Price Investments and Promotions
Increased price investments and promotions toward the end of the quarter to help customers save, especially when SNAP benefits were held up.
Negative Updates
Closure of Automated Fulfillment Centers
Three automated fulfillment centers will be closed due to not meeting operational and financial expectations, expected to close by January 2026.
Impact of Inflation Reduction Act
The Inflation Reduction Act is expected to lower Q4 identical sales without fuel by approximately 30 to 40 basis points but will have no impact on earnings.
Challenges from Macroeconomic Uncertainty
Macroeconomic uncertainty and the pause in SNAP benefits during the final weeks of the quarter added incremental pressure to third-quarter identical sales without fuel.
Decline in Discretionary Purchases
Customers are reducing discretionary purchases, impacting categories like general merchandise, which comped negative during the quarter.
Company Guidance
During The Kroger Co.'s third-quarter 2025 earnings call, the company provided guidance and updates on its strategic initiatives. The company highlighted a strong performance in e-commerce, achieving six consecutive quarters of double-digit sales growth and expecting the e-commerce business to be profitable by 2026, contributing approximately $400 million in profitability improvements. Identical sales without fuel grew 2.6% year-over-year, with a two-year stack increase of 4.9%, led by pharmacy and e-commerce. Kroger plans to expand its store footprint by breaking ground on 14 new stores in the fourth quarter, with a 30% increase in new store builds expected in 2026. The company is also closing three automated fulfillment centers by January 2026, focusing on a hybrid fulfillment model using both automated and store-based fulfillment. Kroger aims to maintain gross margin stability through a mix of private label performance, supply chain efficiencies, and promotional activities. The company narrowed its identical sales growth guidance to 2.8% to 3% and adjusted EPS guidance to $4.75 to $4.80 for the full year.

Kroger Company Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Kroger shows strong revenue growth and cash flow generation, but faces challenges with profitability and increased leverage. The income statement reflects stable gross profit margins but declining net profit margins. The balance sheet indicates high leverage with a rising debt-to-equity ratio, and cash flow shows significant improvement in free cash flow growth.
Income Statement
65
Positive
Kroger's income statement shows a stable gross profit margin around 22-23%, indicating consistent cost management. However, the net profit margin has decreased significantly in the TTM period to 0.54% from 1.81% in the previous year, reflecting challenges in maintaining profitability. Revenue growth in the TTM period is strong at 15.3%, but this follows a slight decline in the previous year, suggesting some volatility in sales performance. EBIT and EBITDA margins have also decreased, indicating pressure on operational efficiency.
Balance Sheet
55
Neutral
The balance sheet reveals a high debt-to-equity ratio of 3.58 in the TTM period, up from 3.03 in the previous year, indicating increased leverage and potential financial risk. Return on equity has dropped to 9.42% from 32.17%, reflecting reduced profitability relative to shareholder equity. The equity ratio is not directly provided, but the high leverage suggests a lower proportion of equity financing.
Cash Flow
70
Positive
Kroger's cash flow statement shows a significant improvement in free cash flow growth at 162.7% in the TTM period, indicating strong cash generation capabilities. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is 0.33, suggesting moderate efficiency in converting income to cash. The free cash flow to net income ratio is 0.37, reflecting a reasonable level of cash flow relative to net income.
BreakdownTTMDec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue147.22B147.12B150.04B148.26B137.89B132.50B
Gross Profit33.42B33.40B33.36B31.78B30.35B30.90B
EBITDA5.29B7.64B7.03B7.02B6.05B7.29B
Net Income789.00M2.67B2.16B2.24B1.66B2.58B
Balance Sheet
Total Assets51.44B52.62B50.51B49.54B49.09B48.64B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments5.07B5.27B3.10B2.14B2.90B2.78B
Total Debt25.20B25.08B19.25B20.41B20.44B20.59B
Total Liabilities44.40B44.34B38.90B39.52B39.66B39.09B
Stockholders Equity7.04B8.29B11.62B10.04B9.45B9.58B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow2.25B1.78B2.88B1.23B3.58B3.95B
Operating Cash Flow6.04B5.79B6.79B4.31B6.19B6.82B
Investing Cash Flow-3.84B-3.23B-3.75B-3.02B-2.61B-2.81B
Financing Cash Flow-11.62B-490.00M-2.17B-2.29B-3.44B-2.71B

Kroger Company Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price62.29
Price Trends
50DMA
65.32
Negative
100DMA
66.71
Negative
200DMA
67.42
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.89
Positive
RSI
42.15
Neutral
STOCH
46.45
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For KR, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 62.29 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 64.02, below the 50-day MA of 65.32, and below the 200-day MA of 67.42, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.89 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 42.15 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 46.45 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for KR.

Kroger Company Risk Analysis

Kroger Company disclosed 15 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Kroger Company reported the most risks in the "Production" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Kroger Company Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (62)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
72
Outperform
$1.33B16.295.29%0.92%-5.42%-20.80%
69
Neutral
$7.95B15.5436.96%16.60%49.76%
67
Neutral
$1.66B17.717.22%2.05%3.11%6.54%
64
Neutral
$9.57B10.3132.04%3.44%2.08%-1.63%
62
Neutral
$20.33B14.63-3.31%3.23%1.93%-12.26%
56
Neutral
$39.50B57.167.75%2.15%-1.77%-70.83%
52
Neutral
$981.37M-211.13-0.37%7.22%-108.99%
* Consumer Defensive Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
KR
Kroger Company
62.29
1.69
2.79%
IMKTA
Ingles Markets
71.41
6.53
10.06%
WMK
Weis Markets
66.20
-1.03
-1.53%
SFM
Sprouts Farmers
80.25
-51.18
-38.94%
GO
Grocery Outlet Holding
10.05
-5.71
-36.23%
ACI
Albertsons Companies
17.45
-1.61
-8.45%

Kroger Company Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
Kroger Updates eCommerce Strategy Amid Fulfillment Closures
Neutral
Nov 18, 2025

On November 18, 2025, Kroger announced updates to its eCommerce strategy, including the closure of certain fulfillment centers in the U.S., resulting in expected impairment charges of approximately $2.6 billion in the third fiscal quarter of 2025. Despite these closures, Kroger anticipates a $400 million improvement in eCommerce profitability by 2026, driven by expanded partnerships with Instacart, DoorDash, and Uber Eats, and a focus on enhancing customer experience and operating margins. The company’s hybrid eCommerce model aims to accelerate online growth and improve profitability, leveraging its store footprint and third-party delivery services.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Dec 13, 2025