The Kroger Co.
- Open
- 58.08
- Day high
- 58.13
- Day low
- 57.65
- Prev close
- 58.36
- Volume
- 530K
- Mkt cap
- $35.8B
- P/E (TTM)
- 33.7
- EPS (TTM)
- $1.71
- P/B
- 5.5
- P/S
- 0.2
- Yield
- 2.40%
- Per share
- $1.40
- ▼Insiders net selling -$1.8M over the last 3 months (0 open-market buys, 1 sale)
- 🏛Institutions mixed (13F)
The Kroger Co. (KR) is a Consumer Defensive company listed on NYSE. The stock is down 19% over the past year. Over the trailing 3 months, insiders filed 0 open-market buys and 1 sale (SEC Form 4).
The Kroger Co. (KR) financials & analyst ratings
Fundamentals (TTM)
Analyst consensus · 8 analysts
Source: exchange market data + company filings. Figures are trailing-twelve-month or as most recently reported. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
KR earnings date, history & EPS estimates
| Report date | EPS est | EPS actual | Surprise | Revenue | Rev. surprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 18, 2026 | $1.59 | $1.58 | -0.6% | $46.1B | +1.2% |
| Mar 5, 2026 | $1.20 | $1.28 | +6.7% | $34.7B | -0.7% |
| Dec 4, 2025 | $1.03 | $1.05 | +1.9% | $33.9B | -1.0% |
| Sep 11, 2025 | $0.99 | $1.04 | +4.6% | $33.9B | -0.5% |
| Jun 20, 2025 | $1.45 | $1.49 | +2.8% | $45.1B | -0.1% |
| Mar 6, 2025 | $1.11 | $1.14 | +2.7% | $34.3B | -0.8% |
| Dec 5, 2024 | $0.98 | $0.98 | +0.0% | $33.6B | -1.6% |
| Sep 12, 2024 | $0.91 | $0.93 | +1.9% | $33.9B | -0.5% |
| Jun 20, 2024 | $1.35 | $1.43 | +5.9% | $45.3B | +0.9% |
| Mar 7, 2024 | $1.13 | $1.34 | +18.6% | $37.1B | -0.0% |
| Nov 30, 2023 | $0.91 | $0.95 | +4.4% | $34.0B | +0.1% |
| Sep 8, 2023 | $0.92 | $0.96 | +4.3% | $33.9B | -0.8% |
KR insider trading activity (SEC Form 4)
| Date | Insider | Type | Shares | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 16, 2026 | FIKE CARIN Lofficer: Vice President and Treasurer | Tax | 56 | $56.56 |
| Jul 16, 2026 | Vemuri Ashokdirector | Grant | 3,660 | — |
| Jul 16, 2026 | Gates Annedirector | Grant | 3,660 | — |
| Jul 16, 2026 | SOURRY KNOX JUDITH AMANDAdirector | Grant | 3,660 | — |
| Jul 16, 2026 | Brown Kevin Mdirector | Grant | 3,660 | — |
| Jul 16, 2026 | Aufreiter Nora Adirector | Grant | 3,660 | — |
| Jul 16, 2026 | Butier Mitchell Rdirector | Grant | 3,660 | — |
| Jul 16, 2026 | Sutton Mark Sdirector | Grant | 3,660 | — |
| Jul 16, 2026 | SARGENT RONALDdirector | Grant | 7,916 | — |
| Jul 16, 2026 | HOGUET KAREN Mdirector | Grant | 3,660 | — |
| Jul 15, 2026 | COSSET YAELofficer: Executive Vice President | Sell | 30,000 | $58.80 |
| Jul 14, 2026 | Shaffer Megan N.officer: Group Vice President | Tax | 466 | $59.31 |
| Jul 14, 2026 | Nichols Brian Wofficer: Group VP & Controller | Tax | 96 | $59.31 |
| Jun 26, 2026 | Butier Mitchell Rdirector | Grant | 289 | — |
| Jun 2, 2026 | SARGENT RONALDofficer: Chairman of the Board | Grant | 388 | — |
Source: KR SEC Form 4 filings, latest Jul 16, 2026. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
See the full KR insider & 13F page →The Kroger Co. company profile
Overview
The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) is one of America's largest grocery retailers, founded in 1883 by Barney Kroger in Cincinnati, Ohio. What began as a single storefront has evolved into a retail empire operating over 2,700 supermarkets across 35 states and the District of Columbia under various banner names. The company has grown through strategic acquisitions and organic expansion to become the second-largest grocery chain in the United States by revenue. Today, Kroger serves millions of customers through its combination food and drug stores, multi-department stores, marketplace stores, and price impact warehouses, while also operating fuel centers and manufacturing facilities.
Business
Kroger operates as a comprehensive food retailer in the highly competitive grocery industry, which represents one of the largest sectors in American retail. The grocery industry is characterized by thin margins, high volume operations, and intense competition from traditional supermarkets, big-box retailers like Walmart, warehouse clubs like Costco, and increasingly, online retailers like Amazon. The company's core business revolves around combination food and drug stores, which are traditional supermarkets that integrate full-service grocery offerings with pharmacy services, general merchandise, and specialty departments. These stores feature natural and organic food sections, fresh seafood, produce departments, pet centers, and pharmacies under one roof. Kroger also operates multi-department stores that expand beyond groceries to include apparel, home furnishings, electronics, automotive products, and toys, essentially functioning as one-stop shopping destinations. Additionally, Kroger runs marketplace stores that combine full-service grocery and pharmacy operations with extensive general merchandise selections, and price impact warehouse stores that focus on bulk grocery items, health and beauty products, and fresh goods at competitive prices. The company also operates 1,613 fuel centers, providing gasoline and convenience items to customers, often at discounted prices for loyalty program members. Beyond retail operations, Kroger has developed significant alternative profit businesses that generate revenue streams outside traditional grocery sales. These include Kroger Precision Marketing, a retail media platform that allows consumer packaged goods companies to advertise directly to Kroger customers, and manufacturing operations that produce private-label products sold in Kroger stores. The company also operates digital commerce platforms including delivery services, pickup options, and meal kit solutions through its Home Chef brand.
Revenue model
Kroger generates revenue through multiple complementary business models, with traditional grocery sales representing the largest portion of income. The company operates on a product sales model where it purchases goods from suppliers and sells them to consumers at marked-up prices. This includes fresh produce, meat, dairy, packaged goods, and general merchandise across its various store formats. The company's pharmacy operations generate revenue through prescription drug sales, over-the-counter medications, and health services including vaccinations. Kroger has partnerships with insurance providers and participates in government programs like Medicare and Medicaid, earning both direct payments from patients and reimbursements from insurers. Fuel sales represent another significant revenue stream, with Kroger operating over 1,600 fuel centers. The company often uses fuel discounts as a customer loyalty tool, offering cents-per-gallon reductions to frequent shoppers while maintaining profitable margins on fuel sales. Kroger's alternative profit businesses have become increasingly important revenue generators. The Kroger Precision Marketing platform operates on an advertising revenue model, charging consumer packaged goods companies to display targeted advertisements to Kroger customers both in-store and digitally. The company's private-label manufacturing operations generate licensing and manufacturing revenue by producing store-brand products that typically offer higher margins than national brands. Digital services contribute through delivery fees, subscription services like the Boost membership program, and meal kit sales through Home Chef. These services often operate on subscription and service fee models, charging customers for convenience and premium services. Several factors influence Kroger's profitability margins. Commodity price inflation directly impacts costs, particularly for fresh foods, meat, and dairy products. Labor costs represent a significant expense, with the company employing hundreds of thousands of workers, many covered by union contracts. Competition intensity affects pricing power, as Kroger must balance competitive pricing with margin preservation. Consumer spending patterns influence sales mix, with economic pressures driving customers toward lower-margin private-label products or away from higher-margin prepared foods. Digital adoption rates impact profitability as online orders typically have higher fulfillment costs than in-store purchases, though the company is working to improve digital profitability through automation and scale.
Competitive moat
Kroger's competitive moat is moderately strong but faces significant challenges in an increasingly competitive retail landscape. The company's primary defensive advantages stem from its scale and geographic density in key markets, which provides operational efficiencies, supplier negotiating power, and customer convenience through widespread store locations and fuel centers. The company has built a valuable customer data and personalization platform that leverages shopping history, preferences, and loyalty program participation to deliver targeted promotions and product recommendations. This data advantage, combined with over 65 million loyalty program members, creates switching costs for customers who benefit from personalized offers and fuel rewards. Kroger's private-label capabilities represent another moat element, with the company manufacturing many of its own-brand products and achieving higher margins while offering customers value alternatives to national brands. The company's "Our Brands" portfolio includes over 15,000 products across multiple price tiers, from premium Private Selection to budget-friendly Smart Way options. However, Kroger's moat faces substantial threats from multiple directions. Amazon and other e-commerce players are rapidly expanding grocery delivery and pickup services, potentially commoditizing convenience and reducing the importance of physical store locations. Walmart's scale advantage and ability to leverage grocery as a loss leader for its broader retail operations creates persistent pricing pressure. Discount retailers like Aldi and warehouse clubs like Costco offer alternative value propositions that can erode market share. The thin margin nature of grocery retail means that operational efficiency advantages can be quickly eroded by competitive responses or cost inflation. Additionally, changing consumer preferences toward online shopping, meal delivery services, and restaurant dining create structural challenges to traditional grocery retail models. While Kroger is investing heavily in digital capabilities and omnichannel experiences, the company must continuously innovate to maintain its competitive position against both traditional and non-traditional competitors.
Risks & safety
Kroger presents a moderate margin of safety with solid fundamentals but some areas of concern regarding debt levels and working capital management. **Liquidity and Solvency:** - Cash and short-term investments: $3.96 billion as of Q4 2024 - Current ratio: 0.96, indicating tight working capital management - Quick ratio: 0.52, showing limited liquid assets relative to current liabilities - Debt-to-equity ratio: 3.03, representing high leverage levels - Strong operating cash flow: $5.79 billion annually, providing debt service coverage **Valuation Metrics:** - Price-to-earnings ratio: 16.8x, reasonable for a mature retailer - EV/EBITDA: 8.5x, within historical ranges for grocery retailers - Price-to-book ratio: 5.3x, elevated due to asset-light model and goodwill - Free cash flow yield: Approximately 4% based on current market cap **Other Considerations:** - Consistent EBITDA generation around $7 billion annually - Investment-grade credit rating maintained - Cyclical earnings sensitivity to economic downturns and consumer spending - Capital-intensive business requiring ongoing store maintenance and technology investments
Recent development
Over the past several years, Kroger has undergone significant strategic evolution focused on digital transformation and diversification beyond traditional grocery retail. The company has invested heavily in omnichannel capabilities, building out delivery and pickup services that now generate over $13 billion in annual digital sales. This includes partnerships with third-party delivery providers and development of proprietary fulfillment infrastructure. Alternative profit businesses have become a key growth driver, with Kroger Precision Marketing evolving into a substantial retail media platform that generated $1.35 billion in operating profit in 2024. The company has expanded its data monetization capabilities, allowing consumer packaged goods companies to target Kroger customers with personalized advertising across digital and in-store touchpoints. Kroger has significantly expanded its private-label portfolio, launching nearly 1,500 new Our Brands products over the past two years across multiple price tiers. This includes the introduction of the Smart Way brand targeting budget-conscious customers and continued expansion of the premium Private Selection line. The company now operates manufacturing facilities that produce many of these private-label products, providing greater margin control and supply chain flexibility. Technology integration has accelerated, with Kroger implementing AI-powered inventory management systems, RFID tracking for fresh products, and machine learning algorithms for demand forecasting and personalization. The company has also invested in automation for fulfillment centers and distribution networks to improve efficiency and reduce labor costs. The company has pursued strategic partnerships and acquisitions, including the proposed merger with Albertsons (which faced regulatory challenges) and continued expansion of the Home Chef meal kit business. Kroger has also enhanced its pharmacy and health services offerings, capitalizing on increased demand for vaccinations and specialty medications like GLP-1 drugs for diabetes and weight management.
KR company profile · for informational purposes only — not investment advice.
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