KR

HoldHot Air

The Kroger Co. · Consumer Defensive · United States · $39.4B cap · $493.4M/day traded

$65.02 -1.3% · close 28 Oct · scored 29 Oct

Hot Air: Rising on momentum alone: weak business, rich price.

50
StockRank
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Report expected 3 Dec: the next-year EPS estimate has fallen 1.1% over the last 14 weeks.

Quality
50
Value
43
Momentum
50

As of 29 Oct 2026, MoatMap's StockRank for The Kroger Co. (KR) is 50/100, ranked against 24,000+ stocks in 35 markets (Quality 50, Value 43, Momentum 50, each scored against its sector).

Does StockRank work? Each month we publish how every decile did, whichever way it went. See the record →

P/E (TTM)
37.1x
peers 21.7x
ROE
14.4%
peers 10.0%
D/E
4.1x
peers 0.7x
Dividend %
2.1%
trailing yield

ABOUT THE KROGER CO.

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The Kroger Co. is one of the largest grocery retailers in the United States, operating an extensive network of supermarkets, multi-department stores, and convenience stores under various banners, alongside pharmacies and fuel centers. Its competitive advantage stems from massive operational scale, a robust private-label portfolio, and a deeply entrenched customer loyalty program that fosters repeat business. As a major consolidator, Kroger maintains a dominant regional presence and is significantly investing in its digital and e-commerce capabilities to meet evolving consumer demands.

FINANCIAL SUMMARY (USD)

Year20222023202420252026CAGRTTM2027E2028EFwd CAGR
Revenue137.9B148.3B150.0B147.1B147.6B1.7%149.3B150.8B153.2B1.9%
EPS—3.102.993.701.55-20.6%1.801.661.756.3%
Shares—716.0M720.0M659.6M615.0M-14.1%590.6M———
Debt—20.4B19.2B25.1B24.7B6.6%24.2B———
Equity—10.0B11.6B8.3B5.9B-16.1%————
Op CF—4.5B6.8B5.8B7.3B17.6%6.7B———
Inv CF—-3.0B-3.8B-3.2B-3.9B—————
Fin CF—-2.3B-2.2B-490.0M-4.0B—————
Loading 1Y...
PRICE (1Y) · USD+7.0%
57.660.262.865.367.917 Sep8 Oct28 Oct
SMA 50SMA 200

Price checkTurning upExperimental

21% above its 52-week low and back above a rising 50-day average since 9 Oct 2026.

SwingsCalm

Calmer than 73% of stocks we rank over the past year (30% a year).

How this is worked out

StockRank judges the business. The price check reads only the chart: it is the price side of the Momentum score, in words.

The rules: Still falling is a new 52-week low in the last two weeks, at least 25% below the high. Finding a floor is no new low since. Turning up is 20 or more trading days without a new low, at least 10% off it, and back above a rising 50-day average. In an uptrend is above the 200-day average and within 15% of the high.

In 2,112 US drawdowns since 2001, buying while the price was still falling was followed by a further 20% drop 42% of the time. Waiting for a turn like this one cut that to 33%, at about 7% higher prices and with no better returns. Part of that cut is simply not buying: 13% of falls never turned, and waiting kept those out. Among turns that were bought, 38% still fell another 20%, and 33% of turns were followed by a new low within six months. The benefit was largest in crashes such as 2008 and 2020.

What it measures: day-to-day price moves over the past year, as a yearly figure, ranked against every stock we cover. Very calm under 20% a year, Calm 20 to 30%, Average 30 to 40%, Bumpy 40 to 55%, Very bumpy above that.

What we found: across about 13,500 stocks in 34 markets (2002 to 2025), past swings were a good guide to the next year's, and bumpier stocks fell further. How much further changed too much between eras to put a number on it.

Calm is not safe: a calm stock can still slide steadily.

Rules fixed before any data was fetched. Describes the chart, not a recommendation.

Close
$65.02
RSI (14)
62.0
52-Week Range-14.1% from high
Low $53.78High $75.66

SCORE BREAKDOWN

Quality
50
ROIC
5.8%27.8
ROE
14.4%69.8
GP/Assets
71.4%93.7
Op. Margin
3.0%28.7
FCF/Assets
5.7%57.6
Piotroski
773.2
Int. Cover
2.9x25.2
D/E Ratio
4.13x2.4
Current Ratio
0.70x7.9
Value
43
P/E (TTM)
37.1x14.8
EV/EBITDA
7.7x63.3
P/FCF
13.9x54.1
P/B
6.8x8.8
P/S
0.3x86.3
Div Yield
2.1%36.8
Momentum
50
52W High %
86%68.9
RS 6M
-11%40.8
SMA 50/200
0.95x38.6
EPS Rev 4W
-0.6%17.1
EPS Rev 12W
-1.1%31.9
EPS Improve
+204%86.6
Q Growth
5%48.5

FUNDAMENTALS

Market Cap
$39.4B
P/E (Forward)
12.2x
Gross Margin
23.9%

SECTOR PEERS

Closest peers in Consumer Defensive, ranked by industry match, size, and score similarity. Cross-listings of KR are excluded.

TickerCompanyMkt CapStockRankSignal
KRThe Kroger Co.(you)$39.4B50Hold
SFMSprouts Farmers Market, Inc.$6.2B53Hold
ACIAlbertsons Companies, Inc.$6.8B29Sell
WMKWeis Markets, Inc.$1.8B55Hold
GOGrocery Outlet Holding Corp.$1.3B40Hold
IMKTAIngles Markets, Incorporated$1.7B67Buy
NGVCNatural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.$725M60Hold
YSWYYesway, Inc.$768M37Hold
VLGEAVillage Super Market, Inc.$668M73Buy
ELThe Estée Lauder Companies Inc.$39.4B44Hold

Peer medians: ROE 10.0% · P/E 21.7x · Gross margin 35.0%

Company Deep Dive

Business segments breakdown, earnings transcript analysis, management credibility scoring, competitive landscape, and scenario modelling.

Request Deep Dive(50 Feathers)

The Kroger Co. (KR): Stock Score Summary

The Kroger Co. (KR) has a MoatMap StockRank of 50/100 based on Quality (50/100), Value (43/100), and Momentum (50/100) factor scores. The current signal is HOLD.

The Kroger Co. is one of the largest grocery retailers in the United States, operating an extensive network of supermarkets, multi-department stores, and convenience stores under various banners, alongside pharmacies and fuel centers. Its competitive advantage stems from massive operational scale, a robust private-label portfolio, and a deeply entrenched customer loyalty program that fosters repeat business. As a major consolidator, Kroger maintains a dominant regional presence and is significantly investing in its digital and e-commerce capabilities to meet evolving consumer demands.

Key Financial Metrics

Price$65.02
Market Cap$39.4B
P/E (TTM)37.09
P/E (Forward)12.19
Price/Book6.81
Return on Equity14.4%
Return on Invested Capital5.8%
Debt/Equity4.13x
Gross Margin23.9%
Operating Margin3.0%
Revenue Growth2.0%
Dividend Yield2.1%
Free Cash Flow$2.8B

The Kroger Co. operates in the Grocery Stores industry, part of the Consumer Defensive sector (United States).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Kroger Co.’s (KR) StockRank?
MoatMap’s StockRank for The Kroger Co. (KR) is 50/100, with a Hold signal. It is a composite of Quality (50), Value (43), and Momentum (50), each scored against its sector. The composite is then ranked across MoatMap’s universe of 24,000+ stocks.
Does The Kroger Co. have an economic moat?
The Kroger Co. (KR) has a Quality factor score of 50/100. The Quality factor combines ROIC, Piotroski F-Score, and leverage: the financial fingerprints of a durable competitive advantage. A Quality score above 70 typically indicates a company with the characteristics of a moated business.
Is The Kroger Co. a buy, hold, or sell?
MoatMap’s current signal for The Kroger Co. (KR) is Hold, based on a StockRank of 50/100. Signals are derived mechanically from the StockRank composite and should be one input among many; combine with your own thesis on management, competitive position, and valuation.
What sector is The Kroger Co. in?
The Kroger Co. (KR) operates in the Consumer Defensive sector, specifically the Grocery Stores industry (United States).