Kroger (NYSE:KR) Rating Lowered to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Posted by Stanley Muller on Nov 3rd, 2026

Kroger (NYSE:KR – Get Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Sunday, Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on KR. UBS Group set a $66.00 price objective on Kroger and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Wells Fargo & Company set a $60.00 target price on Kroger and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Evercore set a $70.00 price target on Kroger in a report on Monday, September 14th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Finally, Melius Research set a $80.00 price target on Kroger and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $70.35.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Kroger

Kroger Trading Up 2.5%

NYSE:KR opened at $68.45 on Friday. Kroger has a one year low of $54.15 and a one year high of $76.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.31. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $60.85 and its 200 day simple moving average is $63.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.20, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.36.

Kroger (NYSE:KR – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, September 11th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.04. Kroger had a net margin of 0.73% and a return on equity of 49.90%. The business had revenue of $34.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.04 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Kroger will post 5.20 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Kroger news, EVP Mary Adcock sold 72,901 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.70, for a total transaction of $4,425,090.70. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 175,233 shares in the company, valued at $10,636,643.10. The trade was a 29.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Kroger

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger in the 1st quarter worth approximately $31,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Kroger in the 1st quarter worth approximately $33,000. North Point Portfolio Managers Corp OH purchased a new stake in Kroger during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, GK Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Kroger during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Kroger News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

Positive Sentiment: Unusually high call-option buying indicates increased bullish positioning among some traders, though options activity is speculative and does not guarantee further gains. Kroger Stock Sees Unusually High Call Option Buying
Positive Sentiment: Kroger is proposing a new store in Butler Township, supporting the company’s broader growth strategy and potential future sales. New Kroger store proposed in Butler Township
Positive Sentiment: A “Connected” store is using robots, RFID and artificial intelligence to improve inventory management and operating efficiency, potentially helping Kroger control costs and improve the shopping experience. Kroger’s Connected Store Puts Robots, RFID and AI at the Center of Operations
Positive Sentiment: Kroger’s plan to open 110 new stores, with redesigned layouts aimed at budget-conscious shoppers, could support long-term growth and customer retention. Kroger plans 110 new stores
Neutral Sentiment: The Kroger-Albertsons trial ended with a request for additional information, leaving the deal’s outcome and any potential synergies uncertain. The extended process may keep merger-related volatility elevated. Kroger, Albertsons trial ends with request for more information
Negative Sentiment: Reports that more Kroger and Albertsons locations will close in 2026 highlight competitive pressure from Walmart, Amazon and other retailers, and could weigh on sales growth and restructuring costs. More Kroger and Albertsons locations will close in 2026
Negative Sentiment: Wall Street Zen downgraded Kroger, adding a negative analyst signal despite the stock’s recent strength. Kroger Stock Gets Downgrade from Wall Street Zen

About Kroger

(Get Free Report)

The Kroger Co is a U.S. food and grocery retailer headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883, the company operates supermarkets under banners that include Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, King Soopers, Fry’s, Harris Teeter and Smith’s, among others.

Kroger’s business includes the sale of fresh food, groceries, general merchandise, household products and health and beauty items. Many of its stores also provide pharmacy services and fuel centers. The company offers digital shopping, pickup and delivery services, loyalty programs and a range of private-label products, including Simple Truth, Private Selection and Kroger-branded products.

Kroger primarily serves customers across the United States, with stores concentrated in the Midwest, South, West and parts of the Mid-Atlantic region.