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The Kroger

KR
33
Grocery Stores · Consumer Defensive
Also trades as: 0JS2.L GBP 0.63 (+0.43%)
Price
$63.63
+0.92 (+1.47%)
Market Cap
$37.58B
Winston Score
33
Winston is serious
Below-average fundamentals — multiple weak pillars.
Data as of Oct 18, 2026 · filings through Aug 15, 2026

§How the score breaks down

Quality
Weak
7/30
Growth
Weak
4/20
Cash Flow
Strong
7/10
Stability
Mixed
3/10
Valuation
Good
6/10
Ownership
Weak
2/15
Dividends
Strong
4/5

33 of 100 counted points = Winston Score 33.

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Share count falling — buybacks

−13.1% over 4y

The company has reduced its share count over this period, returning value to shareholders through buybacks.

Diluted shares outstanding: 754.0M (2022) → 655.0M (2026)

§Winston Score History

The full picture

Kroger is one of the largest grocery store chains in the United States. It operates over 2,700 supermarkets under names like Kroger, Fred Meyer, Ralphs, and Harris Teeter, selling food, household products, pharmacy items, and fuel to everyday shoppers. It is the largest traditional supermarket operator in the country by sales.

Kroger makes money primarily by selling groceries and goods in its stores, but it also earns revenue from its pharmacy business, fuel centers, and a growing advertising business that sells space to brands wanting to reach its shoppers. It operates almost entirely in the U.S., generating roughly $150 billion in annual sales. Its main competitive advantages are its private-label brands and its loyalty program, which gives it data on millions of customers. The biggest risk Kroger faces is intense competition from Walmart, Costco, and Amazon, all of which are aggressively expanding in grocery and can undercut prices.

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Growth Profile

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

+2.0% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Slow revenue growth

EPS Growth

+15.2% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Steady EPS growth

R&D Spend

$0/ year

0.0% of revenue

Below sector average (2%)

Research and development spending

Insider Activity

0.3%ownership

→ Flat

Insider ownership roughly steady over the past year

Cash Position

Cash flow positive

$1.7B cash & investments

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

→ Burn rate stable

Company generates more cash than it spends — no dilution risk from fundraising

Growth context

The Kroger is growing revenue at 2% year-over-year. The Winston Score measures business quality today — these growth metrics show what could matter tomorrow.

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

Every number that matters to educated investors.

Each metric is explained in plain language so you know exactly what you're looking at. Start your free trial now.

Quality

Profit per sale
Gross Margin
20.6%
Thin — 20.6% gross margin
Profit after running costs
Operating Margin
2.8%
Thin — 2.8% operating margin
Return on the money invested
ROCE
9.1%
Below par — 9.1% return on capital

ROIC between 5% and 15%. They earn 5 to 15 cents back per year on every dollar invested.

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Growth

Sales growth
Sales YoY
+1.6%
Nearly flat sales (+1.6% YoY)
Profit growth
EPS YoY
-52.9%
Earnings shrinking (-52.9% YoY)

Earnings per share down more than 10%. Either a bad year, or a real decline.

How steady the profit is
EPS Consistency
4/8 quarters
Earnings inconsistent quarter-to-quarter

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Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash
Cash Conversion
608%
Turns 608% of profit into real cash
Spare cash per sale
FCF Margin
1.5%
Thin free cash flow (1.5%)

FCF margin between 0% and 10%. Some cash from sales, but not a lot.

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Stability

What it owes vs what it owns
Debt / Equity
2.91
Heavy debt load (2.91)
Covers its interest
Interest Cover
2.93x
Tight — interest eats into profit (2.9x)

Interest coverage between 1 and 3. Profits cover interest, but with little room to spare.

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Valuation

Price vs profit
P/E Ratio (TTM)
34.0x
Pricey — P/E 34.0

P/E above the market average. People are paying up for expected growth.

Cheaper or dearer next year
P/E vs Forward
+24.3
GROWING
Earnings expected to grow meaningfully — cheaper on forward P/E (34.0 → 9.7)

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Dividends

Dividend
Dividend Yield
2.64%
Moderate income — 2.64% yield

Standard yield zone for stable dividend payers. A meaningful piece of total return.

Dividend record
Dividend Growth
+10.4%
Dividend growing fast (10.4% YoY)
Payout Ratio
82%
no trend
Most of the profit goes out as dividends. Little left to reinvest, and less cushion if earnings dip.

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