The Kroger Co. · KR · FY2025 Q3 · Calendar Q4 2025
Kroger targets 2026 e-commerce profitability while expanding stores
Kroger's supplied analysis supports a cautiously constructive operating thesis: management is pairing e-commerce restructuring, store expansion, private-label growth and productivity investments with raised guidance. The countercase is that pharmacy pricing, consumer-support disruption and execution demands could limit the benefits.
Earnings scorecard
Reported versus consensusMarket reaction
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Transcript intelligence
What changed
The current analysis highlights a shift toward e-commerce profitability in 2026, including closure of three automated fulfillment centers and an expected $400 million profit boost, alongside faster store expansion. It also notes a $2.6 billion impairment charge and progress toward appointing an external CEO in 2026.
Guidance delta
The supplied analysis labels guidance sentiment as raised, citing adjusted EPS guidance of $4.75-$4.80 and narrowed identical-sales guidance of 2.8%-3%; the numerical change versus the prior quarter is not supplied.
Key takeaways
- Management expects e-commerce to become profitable in 2026 after a hybrid fulfillment redesign and $400 million of profit improvements.
- Kroger plans 14 new stores in Q4 and a 30% acceleration in new-store builds in 2026.
- Private-label, pharmacy, retail media and AI-enabled workforce tools remain central growth and productivity initiatives.
- The plan carries execution and demand risks, including pharmacy pricing pressure, SNAP pauses, third-party delivery reliance and expansion costs.
Management priorities
- Move e-commerce toward profitability through a hybrid fulfillment model
- Expand the store footprint in targeted geographies
- Invest in private-label brands, AI-enabled workforce management and technology upgrades
- Develop retail-media partnerships with Instacart, DoorDash and Uber Eats
- Allocate $400 million of profit improvement to pricing, store standards and media
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Analyst 52W Price Targets
Latest persisted target per named analyst; persisted current price from FN2's market snapshot as of Sep 30, 2026. Not an FN2 forecast.
Firm-level rating actions
FMP grade actions identify the grading firm, not a named analyst.
| Firm | Rating | Prior rating | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guggenheim | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Sep 15, 2026 |
| Telsey Advisory Group | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Sep 14, 2026 |
| Evercore ISI Group | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Sep 14, 2026 |
| Citigroup | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Sep 1, 2026 |
| UBS | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Jun 22, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Equal Weight | Equal Weight | Maintain | Jun 22, 2026 |
| Barclays | Equal Weight | Equal Weight | Maintain | Jun 22, 2026 |
| JP Morgan | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Jun 11, 2026 |
| Roth Capital | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Mar 6, 2026 |
| Wells Fargo | Equal Weight | Overweight | Downgrade | Feb 25, 2026 |
| Roth MKM | Buy | Neutral | Upgrade | Sep 17, 2025 |
| Deutsche Bank | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Jun 23, 2025 |
| B of A Securities | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Dec 20, 2024 |
| BMO Capital | Market Perform | Market Perform | Maintain | Dec 12, 2024 |
| Jefferies | Buy | Hold | Upgrade | Dec 3, 2024 |
| Argus Research | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Jul 22, 2024 |
| Exane BNP Paribas | Underperform | Neutral | Downgrade | Apr 8, 2024 |
| Stephens & Co. | Equal Weight | Equal Weight | Maintain | Dec 1, 2023 |
| Northcoast Research | Buy | Neutral | Upgrade | Mar 20, 2023 |
| Bernstein | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Dec 6, 2022 |
| Credit Suisse | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Sep 8, 2022 |
| Goldman Sachs | Sell | Sell | Maintain | Dec 6, 2021 |
| Scotiabank | Sector Outperform | Sector Outperform | Maintain | Sep 14, 2020 |
| MKM Partners | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Jul 30, 2020 |
| CFRA | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Mar 5, 2020 |
| Pivotal Research | Buy | Hold | Upgrade | Aug 2, 2019 |
| Bank of America | Buy | Buy | Maintain | May 29, 2019 |
| Buckingham Research | Underperform | Underperform | Maintain | Mar 8, 2019 |
| Buckingham | Underperform | Underperform | Maintain | Mar 8, 2019 |
| Argus | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Aug 20, 2018 |
| Moffett Nathanson | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Dec 4, 2017 |
| Loop Capital | Hold | Hold | Maintain | May 16, 2017 |
| RBC Capital | Outperform | Sector Perform | Upgrade | Mar 23, 2017 |
| PiperJaffray | Neutral | Underweight | Upgrade | Dec 14, 2016 |
| Piper Sandler | Neutral | Underweight | Upgrade | Dec 14, 2016 |
| SunTrust Robinson Humphrey | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Sep 12, 2016 |
| Oppenheimer | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Aug 24, 2016 |
| Cleveland Research | Hold | Buy | Downgrade | Aug 23, 2016 |
| Wolfe Research | Underperform | Peer Perform | Downgrade | Jul 28, 2016 |
| Hilliard Lyons | Buy | Long Term Buy | Maintain | Jun 23, 2016 |
| Macquarie | Underperform | Neutral | Downgrade | Mar 4, 2016 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Feb 12, 2016 |
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Mar 5, 2015 |
Named analyst price targets
Upside is calculated against the persisted current price $59.73. FMP does not supply a rating on these named-analyst rows.
| Firm | Analyst | 52W target | Price when posted | Upside | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melius Research | Analyst unavailable | $80 | $59.69 | +33.9% | Sep 29, 2026 |
| Telsey Advisory | Joseph Feldman | $75 | $60.73 | +25.6% | Sep 14, 2026 |
| Guggenheim | John Heinbockel | $66 | $60.76 | +10.5% | Sep 14, 2026 |
| Roth Capital | William Kirk | $73 | $58.49 | +22.2% | Sep 14, 2026 |
| Evercore ISI | Analyst unavailable | $70 | $58.49 | +17.2% | Sep 14, 2026 |
| Deutsche Bank | Analyst unavailable | $68 | $56.95 | +13.8% | Sep 9, 2026 |
| Evercore ISI | Michael Montani | $78 | $59.56 | +30.6% | Jul 7, 2026 |
| Telsey Advisory | Analyst unavailable | $78 | $56.54 | +30.6% | Jun 22, 2026 |
| UBS | Michael Lasser | $63 | $56.59 | +5.5% | Jun 22, 2026 |
| Guggenheim | Analyst unavailable | $71 | $56.61 | +18.9% | Jun 22, 2026 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $58 | $56.61 | -2.9% | Jun 22, 2026 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $61 | $56.61 | +2.1% | Jun 22, 2026 |
| Goldman Sachs | Leah Jordan | $82 | $56.61 | +37.3% | Jun 19, 2026 |
| Coker Palmer | Thomas Palmer | $70 | $64.46 | +17.2% | Jun 11, 2026 |
| Jefferies | Scott Marks | $80 | $61.56 | +33.9% | Jun 3, 2026 |
| Evercore ISI | Michael Montani | $83 | $73.37 | +39.0% | Mar 9, 2026 |
| Jefferies | Scott Marks | $82 | $71.57 | +37.3% | Mar 5, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Simeon Gutman | $73 | $71.57 | +22.2% | Mar 5, 2026 |
| Wolfe Research | Greg Badishkanian | $75 | $71.55 | +25.6% | Mar 5, 2026 |
| BMO Capital | Kelly Bania | $70 | $70.09 | +17.2% | Mar 5, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $67 | $62.46 | +12.2% | Jan 15, 2026 |
| Deutsche Bank | Analyst unavailable | $75 | $59.92 | +25.6% | Jan 8, 2026 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $68 | $59.28 | +13.8% | Jan 8, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $72 | $62.83 | +20.5% | Dec 8, 2025 |
| Telsey Advisory | Joseph Feldman | $80 | $63.4 | +33.9% | Dec 5, 2025 |
| Evercore ISI | Analyst unavailable | $77 | $63.35 | +28.9% | Dec 5, 2025 |
| UBS | Michael Lasser | $70 | $63.36 | +17.2% | Dec 5, 2025 |
| Wells Fargo | Edward Kelly | $70 | $63.14 | +17.2% | Dec 4, 2025 |
| Telsey Advisory | Joseph Feldman | $82 | $67.28 | +37.3% | Dec 1, 2025 |
| Coker Palmer | Thomas Palmer | $73 | $66.81 | +22.2% | Nov 26, 2025 |
| Guggenheim | John Heinbockel | $78 | $67.38 | +30.6% | Nov 19, 2025 |
| Argus Research | Analyst unavailable | $85 | $66.32 | +42.3% | Sep 18, 2025 |
| Jefferies | Analyst unavailable | $83 | $74 | +39.0% | Jun 23, 2025 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $76 | $74 | +27.2% | Jun 23, 2025 |
| Guggenheim | John Heinbockel | $73 | $70.74 | +22.2% | Apr 3, 2025 |
| Roth Capital | Analyst unavailable | $58 | $63.78 | -2.9% | Mar 6, 2025 |
| Jefferies | Rob Dickerson | $73 | $60.15 | +22.2% | Dec 3, 2024 |
| Jefferies | Rob Dickerson | $54 | $55.2 | -9.6% | Sep 12, 2024 |
| Evercore ISI | Michael Montani | $62 | $54.2 | +3.8% | Sep 12, 2024 |
| Argus Research | Chris Graja | $72 | $54.86 | +20.5% | Jul 22, 2024 |
| Evercore ISI | Vijay Jayant | $92 | $50.27 | +54.0% | Jun 24, 2024 |
| Morgan Stanley | Simeon Gutman | $57 | $50.21 | -4.6% | Jun 24, 2024 |
| BMO Capital | Kelly Bania | $60 | $51.98 | +0.5% | Jun 18, 2024 |
| Jefferies | Rob Dickerson | $53 | $51.28 | -11.3% | Jun 11, 2024 |
| Wells Fargo | Edward Kelly | $65 | $55.36 | +8.8% | Apr 16, 2024 |
| Northcoast Research | Chuck Cerankosky | $60 | $47.28 | +0.5% | Jun 14, 2023 |
| Telsey Advisory | Joseph Feldman | $55 | $46.17 | -7.9% | Jun 9, 2023 |
| Bernstein | Analyst unavailable | $58 | $46.07 | -2.9% | Dec 6, 2022 |
| Deutsche Bank | Analyst unavailable | $55 | $46.14 | -7.9% | Dec 5, 2022 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $44 | $47.57 | -26.3% | Dec 5, 2022 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $54 | $48 | -9.6% | Dec 2, 2022 |
| Deutsche Bank | Analyst unavailable | $56 | $49.05 | -6.2% | Nov 29, 2022 |
| Evercore ISI | Michael Montani | $56 | $47.12 | -6.2% | Nov 9, 2022 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $43 | $50.5 | -28.0% | Sep 12, 2022 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $41 | $49.82 | -31.4% | Jun 17, 2022 |
| Bank of America Securities | Robert Ohmes | $75 | $50.39 | +25.6% | Jun 14, 2022 |
| Oppenheimer | Rupesh Parikh | $54 | $50.43 | -9.6% | Jun 9, 2022 |
| Guggenheim | Analyst unavailable | $57 | $52.54 | -4.6% | Jun 6, 2022 |
| Bank of America Securities | Buy | $75 | $58.32 | +25.6% | Apr 14, 2022 |
| Telsey Advisory | Joseph Feldman | $62 | $55.71 | +3.8% | Mar 8, 2022 |
| Telsey Advisory | Joseph Feldman | $60 | $58.94 | +0.5% | Mar 5, 2022 |
| BMO Capital | Kelly Bania | $57 | $58.94 | -4.6% | Mar 4, 2022 |
| Stephens | Ben Bienvenu | $57 | $58.94 | -4.6% | Mar 4, 2022 |
| Jefferies | Matthew Fishbein | $43 | $55.1 | -28.0% | Mar 3, 2022 |
| Wells Fargo | Edward Kelly | $47 | $55.1 | -21.3% | Mar 3, 2022 |
| Wolfe Research | Spencer Hanus | $52 | $44.9 | -12.9% | Feb 3, 2022 |
| Citigroup | Paul Lejuez | $42 | $43.27 | -29.7% | Jan 28, 2022 |
| Wells Fargo | Edward Kelly | $42 | $45.08 | -29.7% | Jan 25, 2022 |
| Morgan Stanley | Simeon Gutman | $38 | $45.37 | -36.4% | Dec 14, 2021 |
| Telsey Advisory | Joseph Feldman | $47 | $45.11 | -21.3% | Dec 6, 2021 |
| Guggenheim | John Heinbockel | $49 | $43.23 | -18.0% | Dec 3, 2021 |
| MKM Partners | William Kirk | $48 | $43.23 | -19.6% | Dec 3, 2021 |
| Northcoast Research | Chuck Cerankosky | $46 | $39.26 | -23.0% | Jun 22, 2021 |
| Oppenheimer | Rupesh Parikh | $40 | $38.62 | -33.0% | Jun 17, 2021 |
Track every rating change on KR the moment it posts. Free to start.
Start freeCompany context
Snapshot as of publicationThe Kroger Co. functions as a significant retail entity throughout the United States, encompassing a varied collection of store formats. Its operations include integrated food and drug stores, which stock a broad range of products from natural and organic sections to pharmacies, general merchandise, pet centers, fresh seafood, and organic produce. The company also runs multi-department stores that broaden their offerings to include apparel, home fashion and furnishings, outdoor living goods, electronics, automotive products, and toys.…
Historical context
All KR earningsConsumer Defensive peers this season
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| COST Costco Wholesale Corporation | FY2026 Q4 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +3.2% | +2.9% | Costco’s growth broadens as warehouses and digital sales accelerate |
| GIS General Mills, Inc. | FY2027 Q1 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +4.6% | +1.0% | General Mills leans on mix, innovation and e-commerce amid pressure |
| CPB Campbell Soup Company | FY2026 Q4 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +1.1% | -7.0% | Campbell’s leans on savings and innovation amid pressured demand |
| BF-A Brown-Forman Corporation | FY2027 Q1 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +3.0% | — | Brown-Forman holds FY27 outlook as RTD innovation offsets barrel pressure |
| BF-B Brown-Forman Corporation | FY2027 Q1 · Calendar Q3 2026 | 0.0% | — | Brown-Forman maintains FY27 outlook as innovation offsets pressure |
| DG Dollar General Corporation | FY2027 Q2 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +23.4% | +2.5% | Dollar General Raises FY2026 Outlook After Strong Q2 |
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Sources
- Earnings call transcript and parsed analysis · 2026-05-11T10:29:34.698584+00:00
- FN2 earnings calendar · 2026-07-26T00:36:15.940040+00:00
- Polygon adjusted daily market bars · 2026-09-30T16:56:14.428011+00:00
- Financial Modeling Prep analyst price-target consensus and quote snapshot · 2026-09-30T16:56:14.424847+00:00
Methodology
Reported and consensus figures come from FN2's earnings event records. Market reaction and volume are calculated from daily adjusted bars around the event; abnormal move subtracts the SPY move over the same window.
Analyst target low, average, and high values are derived at request time from each named analyst's latest persisted FMP target. The current-price marker comes from FN2's persisted market snapshot. They are sell-side estimates, not an FN2 valuation or recommendation.
Transcript intelligence is a structured synthesis of the current and prior earnings-call analyses. Missing values stay missing and are never estimated.
By FN2 Research · Updated · As of 2026-09-30. For educational purposes only; not investment advice.