Founded in 1883, Kroger is the largest pure-play supermarket operator in the United States, operating roughly 2,700 stores across more than 30 banners.
It is a $36.1B consumer company. Revenue shrank 15.2% over the last year, it keeps 1¢ of every dollar of sales as profit, and its net debt equals ~4.3 years of free cash flow. It trades at 33.6× earnings — in the most expensive third of its own history.
- Website
- thekrogerco.com
- Location
- Cincinnati, OH
- Employees
- 403 000
- Sector
- Consumer Cyclical
- Founded
- 1883
Skills
Six independent scores, 0–100, built from reported numbers and valuation history. Click a row to see how it was scored.
Strong quality; Growth, Profitability and Health lag behind.
Valuation67
- P/E vs own history79th pct · 5/25
- FCF yield14.5% · 25/25
- P/S0.2x · 25/25
- EV/EBITDA15.5x · 12/25
Growth25
- Revenue CAGR-0.1% · 0/25
- Net income CAGR-18.1% · 0/25
- EPS CAGR ~5Y-13.4% · 0/25
- Fwd implied growth209.0% · 25/25
Profitability28
- ROIC8.6% · 12/25
- ROE3.5% · 5/25
- Net margin1.4% · 6/25
- Operating margin1.4% · 5/25
Health46
- Altman Z3.01 · 25/25
- Current ratio0.70 · 6/25
- Interest coverage2.8x · 10/25
- Net cash / debtD/A 45% · 5/25
Quality90
- Piotroski F6/9 · 15/25
- Beneish M-3.83 · 25/25
- FCF conversion346% · 25/25
- Margin stabilityσ 0.6% · 25/25
Moat68
- ROIC >12% years11/12 yrs · 25/25
- Median gross margin21.6% · 6/25
- FCF-positive years12/12 yrs · 25/25
- Worst-year net marginworst 0.9% · 12/25
Experience
The company's career so far — founding, the IPO, landmark products and acquisitions, plus revenue milestones and insider buying.
- 2024AcquisitionHowever, in January 2024, Washington state sued to block the proposed $25 billion merger between Kroger and…
- Oct 14, 2022AcquisitionKroger announced a merger with Albertsons in a deal worth $24.6 billion, combining both…
- FY2018FinancialBest year on record$10.5B net income
- FY2016FinancialProfitable every year on record12 consecutive profitable years in our data
- FY2016FinancialRevenue already above $100B$299B in first reported year
- FY2016FinancialPositive free cash flow every year since12-year streak
- 1998AcquisitionKroger merged with the then fifth-largest grocery company Fred Meyer, along with its subsidiaries, Ralphs, QFC
- 1988AcquisitionKroger opened stores in Florida under the SupeRx and Florida Choice banners from the 1960s until 1988
- 1977AcquisitionKroger entered the Charlotte market in 1977 and expanded rapidly throughout the 1980s when it bought some stores…
- 1970MilestoneKroger exited the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area in 1970, selling 16 stores to Quality Foods
- 1967ProductThe first bar code scanner was introduced in a Kroger supermarket in Cincinnati, Ohio
- 1965ProductHenke's Family Center stores were folded into the newly-created Kroger Family Center subdivision
- 1963AcquisitionKroger acquired the 56-store chain Market Basket, providing them with a foothold in the lucrative…
- 1883FoundedThe company was founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati
Achievements
Verifiable track record, straight from the reported numbers.
Strengths & watch-outs
What a bull and a bear would each point to. Both lists come from the reported numbers, not opinions.
Strengths
- Altman Z-Score 3.01 — low bankruptcy-risk zone
Watch-outs
- Revenue shrinking 15.2% year over year
- Net debt would take ~6.5 years of free cash flow to repay
Qualifications
The basics a company should meet before you research it further. Each check uses the reported numbers.
- Revenue growing — the company sells more than a year ago-15.2% YoY
- Profitable — makes more than it spends$4.98B TTM
- Profit growing — earnings are higher than last year-20.5% YoY
- Generates cash — cash left after running and investing$5.23B TTM
- Debt under control — could handle its obligations~4.3y of cash flow to repay
- Established company — not a micro-cap — lower blow-up risk$36.1B market cap
- Not printing shares — share count not ballooning — you keep your slice-18.0% shares over ~5y
- Proven track record — years of profitability behind it12/12 profitable years
- Financially stable — balance sheet not near distressAltman Z 3.0 — safe
- Pays a dividend — returns cash to shareholdersyield 2.46%
- Valuation not extreme — price not wildly above earningsP/E 33.6
Peer comparisonThe Kroger Co. vs 6 largest consumer cyclical peers — cap, P/E, growth and margin side by sideOpen ▾Close ▴
| Company | Market cap | P/E | Revenue growth | Net margin | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KR this company | $36.1B | 33.6 | -15.2% | 1.4% | Mixed |
| AMZN Amazon.Com Inc | $2.8T | 20.9 | +15.8% | 17.4% | Mixed |
| TSLA Tesla, Inc. | $1.5T | 397.1 | +11.8% | 3.7% | Strong |
| NFLX NetFlix Inc | $292.8B | 21.4 | +16.0% | 28.2% | Solid |
| HD Home Depot, Inc. | $290.4B | 20.4 | -16.0% | 8.7% | Solid |
| DIS The Walt Disney Company | $186.5B | 21.7 | +4.6% | 8.7% | Solid |
| MCD McDonald's Corporation | $166.9B | 18.9 | +6.3% | 31.7% | Strained |
Head-to-head: KR vs AMZN · KR vs TSLA · KR vs NFLX
References
What covering analysts publish about the company — information only, not a recommendation.
Appendix · Financial records
The full statements behind this CV, FY2016–FY2027. For readers who want to check the numbers.
Live data and quarterly detail: stockcv.com/KR
Want the live picture — intraday moves, valuation history and full analysis?
Deeper analysis of KR on PreMarketPriceFigures are derived from company filings (quarterly values normalised from as-filed year-to-date data where applicable) and may be delayed, restated or incomplete. This page is information, not investment advice. Latest price $61.09 · market cap $36.1B.