Risk Intelligence
Core Model
C−
60 / 100
Fundamentally Qualified
How strong and defensively sound is the company?
Around the middle of the covered universe.
Suggestions
KR · NYSE
KROGER CO
Private betaSector unavailable · Industry unavailable
$58.49
+2.70%
Close on Sep 11, 2026
Defensively Qualified
Updated 6/30/2026
Long-term research evidence only. No price targets, no trading signals, no recommendations.
Investment Report Card
KROGER CO
Sector unavailable · Data confidence good
26 / 100
Rank #633 of 1,152 qualified companies
Top 92% · Not Currently Suggested
Long-Term Potential
Research Model
F
38 / 100
Elite Compounder
Does the business have the characteristics needed to create value over many years?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
Fundamental Momentum
Research Model
D
46 / 100
Accelerating
Is the underlying business getting stronger or weaker?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
Ownership Intelligence
Supplemental Intelligence
C
62 / 100
Positive disclosed activity
What are important owners actually doing?
Around the middle of the covered universe.
Valuation Intelligence
Research Model
D+
52 / 100
Reasonable
Is today's price reasonable?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure — and valuation is researched separately from the Suggested Investment Score.
Capital Returns Intelligence
Research Model
B
75 / 100
Strong Capital Returns
How effectively does the company reward shareholders?
Above average on this measure — and capital returns are researched separately from the Suggested Investment Score.
Why it stands out
- Business Quality meets the frozen IA Defensive qualification.
- The IA Compounder research model identifies strong compounding characteristics.
- More disclosed holders are new or increasing than reducing or exiting.
What holds it back
No weakening evidence is recorded in today's readings.
Long-term view
KROGER CO scores 38 on Long-Term Potential (F), described by the research model as elite compounder. This describes business characteristics only — it is not a forecast of future returns.
Ownership view
Disclosed ownership evidence reads 62 (C): Positive disclosed activity. 5 tracked managers disclosed a position in the latest reporting period. Ownership filings are historical disclosures, not signals.
Valuation view
KROGER CO reads 52 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Reasonable. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value. Valuation Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
Capital returns view
KROGER CO reads 75 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Strong Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 10.4% a year and a share count falling about 4.1% a year. Capital Returns Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
What changed
No meaningful recorded changes in the stored history.
Risk Intelligence is a core model, Long-Term Potential, Fundamental Momentum, Valuation Intelligence and Capital Returns Intelligence are research models, and Ownership Intelligence is supplemental descriptive evidence. Valuation Intelligence and Capital Returns Intelligence each contribute 0% to the Suggested Investment Score. Nothing here is a recommendation.
Compare KR with other companiesAppears in
Rule-based membership
Membership means the company satisfied a published rule on the latest research build. It is not a recommendation.
About a minute to read
The 60-Second Investment Brief
Written from stored research readings only. No hype. No trading signals. Just better evidence.
Why it's interesting
KROGER CO (KR) scores 26 out of 100 and ranks #633 of 1,152 qualified companies today. That places it in the top 92% of ranked companies. The stored tier for that score is not currently suggested.
Business strength
Risk Intelligence reads 60 out of 100 (C−), recorded as fundamentally qualified. Around the middle of the covered universe.
Long-term opportunity
Long-Term Potential reads 38 out of 100 (F), recorded as elite compounder. Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
What's improving or weakening
Fundamental Momentum reads 46 out of 100 (D), recorded as accelerating. Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
What important owners are doing
Ownership Intelligence reads 62 out of 100 (C), recorded as positive disclosed activity. Around the middle of the covered universe.
What kind of price you'd be paying
Valuation currently appears reasonable: Valuation Intelligence reads 52 out of 100 (D+), recorded as Reasonable. KROGER CO reads 52 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Reasonable. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value. Valuation Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
How the company rewards shareholders
Capital Returns Intelligence reads 75 out of 100 (B), recorded as Strong Capital Returns. KROGER CO reads 75 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Strong Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 10.4% a year and a share count falling about 4.1% a year. Capital Returns Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
What could go wrong
No weakening factors are recorded in today's stored readings, and data confidence is good. Absence of a recorded weakness is not evidence of safety.
Bottom line
No individual layer reaches the strongest band today. Risk Intelligence and Long-Term Potential and Fundamental Momentum remain the main area to watch. Separately from the score, valuation reads reasonable at today's price.
Composite discovery model
Pro Investor Score
Pro Investor Score™
26 / 100
Not Currently Suggested
A 0–100 composite discovery score combining Risk Intelligence, Long-Term Potential, Fundamental Momentum, and Ownership Intelligence. It helps rank qualified companies for further research and does not predict future returns.
- Rank
- #633 of 694
- Percentile
- Top 92%
- Ranking updated
- September 12, 2026
369Rank weakened by 369 positions. Rank weakened by 369 positions.
- Risk Intelligence
- 60
- Long-Term Potential
- 38
- Fundamental Momentum
- 46
- Ownership Intelligence
- 62
30% contribution
30% contribution
20% contribution
20% contribution
Ownership Intelligence
62 / 100 · Moderately Positive · 20% of the Pro Investor Score
SUPPLEMENTAL / DESCRIPTIVE INTELLIGENCE
Coverage: Good
- Elite Investor Activity
- 50 · Moderately Positive
- Institutional Activity
- 92 · Strong
- Insider Activity
- Insufficient Data
- Strategic Ownership
- Insufficient Data
50% of Ownership Intelligence · 10% of the total score
Tracked professional-manager activity is moderately positive.
20% of Ownership Intelligence · 4% of the total score
Broad institutional evidence from resolved filings is strong.
15% of Ownership Intelligence · 3% of the total score
No discretionary insider transactions are stored for this company, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
15% of Ownership Intelligence · 3% of the total score
No qualifying major-holder filings are stored, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
Ownership Intelligence summarizes publicly disclosed activity among professional investment managers, broader institutions, company insiders, and significant strategic owners. It adds context to investment research but is not a validated predictor of future performance. Ownership information is publicly reported with a delay; the latest applicable reporting period is 2026-06-30, publicly disclosed 9/11/2026. Congressional activity is unavailable pending legal review and contributes nothing to this reading.
Why it ranks here
No component ranks in the top quartile of the qualified universe.
What holds it back
Risk Intelligence is less favourable
Defensive characteristics rank below the middle of the qualified universe.
Long-term potential is mid-pack
Long-Term Potential ranks below the qualified median. This remains a research model.
Fundamental Momentum is softer
Reported business trends rank below the qualified median.
Ownership evidence is not uniformly supportive
The combined disclosed ownership evidence ranks below the qualified median.
Ownership evidence disagrees
Different owner groups point in different directions, so the combined reading is best read as mixed rather than uniformly favourable.
COMPOSITE DISCOVERY MODEL — RESEARCH STAGE · Data coverage Excellent. Rankings are recalculated daily using the latest available information. Individual components may update at different frequencies based on when new financial and ownership data becomes available.
Researched separately
Valuation Intelligence 52 · Reasonable
RESEARCH MODEL
Valuation Intelligence is currently researched separately and does not affect the Suggested Investment Score or daily ranking.
Researched separately
Capital Returns Intelligence 75 · Strong Capital Returns
RESEARCH MODEL
Capital Returns Intelligence is researched separately and contributes 0% to the Suggested Investment Score, the daily rank or any ranking event.
Score explanation
Why this company scores the way it does
Four research areas carry fixed weights. Each area is compared against every other eligible company, then weighted. The four contributions below add to 26.4 of the stored score (26.4).
Risk Intelligence
30% of the score · contributes 9.1 points
How strong and defensively sound is the company?
Stands at the 30 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 60 · 35% of this company’s total score
How financially sturdy the company has been when conditions turned against it.
How this area is measured
Risk Intelligence reads stored balance-sheet strength, historical downside behaviour and the company's price-risk grouping. A stronger reading describes past resilience; it does not protect against future losses.
Full methodologyLong-Term Potential
30% of the score · contributes 4.0 points
Does the business have the characteristics needed to create value over many years?
Stands at the 13 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 38 · 15% of this company’s total score
Whether the business has the durable characteristics long-term owners look for.
How this area is measured
Long-Term Potential reads durability characteristics such as profitability consistency, cash generation and reinvestment capability over multiple reported periods.
Full methodologyFundamental Momentum
20% of the score · contributes 7.8 points
Is the underlying business getting stronger or weaker?
Stands at the 39 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 46 · 30% of this company’s total score
Whether the reported business results have been getting stronger or weaker.
How this area is measured
Fundamental Momentum compares recent reported fundamentals with the company's own earlier periods, so improvement or deterioration is measured against its history rather than against a forecast.
Full methodologyOwnership Intelligence
20% of the score · contributes 5.4 points
What are important owners actually doing?
Stands at the 27 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 62 · 20% of this company’s total score
What large reporting owners have actually been doing with their positions.
How this area is measured
Ownership Intelligence reads public ownership filings: how many tracked reporting owners hold the company, and whether they were adding, holding, reducing or exiting in the latest disclosed period.
Full methodology
What is helping the score
No research area currently stands in the stronger half of eligible companies.
What deserves attention
- Long-Term Potential — 13 percentile, adding only 4.0 of a possible 30 points.
- Ownership Intelligence — 27 percentile, adding only 5.4 of a possible 20 points.
- Risk Intelligence — 30 percentile, adding only 9.1 of a possible 30 points.
- Fundamental Momentum — 39 percentile, adding only 7.8 of a possible 20 points.
Outside the score
Additional research — not currently included in the primary Suggested Investment Score.
- Valuation Intelligence — KROGER CO reads 52 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Reasonable. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value.
- Capital Returns Intelligence — KROGER CO reads 75 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Strong Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 10.4% a year and a share count falling about 4.1% a year.
Pro Investor Intelligence™
Reported by insiders, large shareholders and professional funds. Shown beside our research, never blended into it.
Loading professional-investor activity…
Stored snapshots only
What changed
Research-score history available since September 2026.
Stored research history does not yet cover a full 30 days comparison for this company.
A change is reported as meaningful at 8 score points, 5 rank places, or any change of research classification. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell.
Learn the metrics on this page
Plain-English definitions, with the formula and the limitations of each measure.
Fifth research lens · outside the score
Valuation Intelligence
Valuation Intelligence
Is today's price reasonable?
Valuation Intelligence is currently researched separately and does not affect the Suggested Investment Score or daily ranking.
52/ 100
Reasonable
RESEARCH MODEL
Partial coverage
Compared with its history
28
Expensive
Is this company expensive or inexpensive compared with its own history?
Compared with peers
—
Not Available
How expensive is this stock compared with similar companies?
No comparable cohort of at least eight companies with the same usable ratios.
Earnings & cash flow
67
Attractive
How much financial output does an investor receive relative to the price paid?
Growth-adjusted
70
Attractive
Does the company's growth help justify the valuation investors are paying?
KROGER CO reads 52 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Reasonable. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value.
Price data through September 11, 2026 · Financial data through the quarter ended May 23, 2026
Valuation history
Stored readings only. The dashed line is this company's own median for the selected measure.
Only one stored valuation reading exists so far, so there is nothing to chart yet. Valuation history builds forward from activation rather than being reconstructed.
Current P/E 34.0x · own median 14.4x
Valuation is inherently uncertain. A stock that appears inexpensive can continue falling, and a stock that appears expensive can continue rising. Valuation Intelligence provides context about the price investors are paying — it does not predict short-term market movements, and it never produces a fair value, a price target or a buy or sell range. Model VALUATION_INTELLIGENCE_V1.
Sixth research lens · outside the score
Capital Returns Intelligence
Capital Returns Intelligence
How effectively does the company reward shareholders?
Capital Returns Intelligence is researched separately and contributes 0% to the Suggested Investment Score, the daily rank or any ranking event.
75/ 100
Strong Capital Returns
RESEARCH MODEL
Excellent coverage
Dividend Quality
84
Exceptional Capital Returns
Dividend reliability
Buyback Effectiveness
97
Exceptional Capital Returns
Do buybacks actually reduce shares?
Dilution Control
86
Exceptional Capital Returns
Is your ownership share protected?
Capital Return Sustainability
20
Limited Capital Returns
Can the cash flow support it?
Shareholder Yield
87
Exceptional Capital Returns
Cash returned versus company value
KROGER CO reads 75 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Strong Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 10.4% a year and a share count falling about 4.1% a year.
How returned cash was used
Dividends $889.00M · net repurchases $2.66B · total returned $3.55B · 123% of free cash flow
Price data through September 11, 2026 · Financial data through the quarter ended May 23, 2026
Capital returns history
Stored readings only. History builds forward from activation rather than being reconstructed.
Only one stored reading exists for this measure so far, so there is nothing to chart yet.
Why higher yield isn't always better
A very high dividend yield may reflect a falling share price or an unsustainable payout. Capital Returns Intelligence emphasizes consistency and sustainability rather than simply rewarding the highest yield.
Why buybacks can be misleading
Announced or gross buyback spending does not always mean shareholders are gaining ownership. Companies can simultaneously issue shares through employee compensation or acquisitions. Suggested Investments therefore considers actual share-count changes alongside repurchase spending.
What these terms mean
- Dividend Yield
- The annual dividend relative to the current share price.
- Payout Ratio
- The share of company earnings used to pay dividends.
- Free Cash Flow Payout
- How much of the company's available cash is being used for dividends.
- Share Repurchases
- When a company buys back its own stock.
- Dilution
- When the number of shares increases, reducing each existing share's percentage ownership of the company.
- Shareholder Yield
- A combined view of dividends and net share repurchases relative to the company's market value.
Capital Returns Intelligence describes how a company returns capital to shareholders. It is not a measure of stock-price performance, it does not predict future returns, and a strong reading is never a recommendation to buy. Dividends and repurchases can be reduced or stopped at any time. Model CAPITAL_RETURNS_INTELLIGENCE_V1, contributing 0% to the Pro Investor Score.
Stored daily snapshots only
Ranking history
| Today | #633 | Score 26 |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days ago | Not ranked | No stored score |
| 90 days ago | Not ranked | No stored score |
| First suggested | Not yet suggested | |
| Highest rank | #633 | |
In the company’s own words
What this company does
The Kroger Co. (the "Company" or "Kroger") was founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1902. Our Company is built on the foundation of our retail grocery business, which includes the added convenience of our retail pharmacies and fuel centers. Our strategy is focused on growing households and increasing customer loyalty by delivering great value and convenience, and investing in Fresh, Our Brands , Personalization and eCommerce.
We utilize the data and traffic generated by our retail business to create personalized experiences and value for our customers. This data and traffic also enable our fast-growing, high operating margin alternative profit business, including third-party media revenue. In turn, the value generated from these businesses enables us to reinvest back into our retail business.
Our revenues are predominately earned and cash is generated as consumer products are sold to customers in our stores and fuel centers and via our online platforms. We earn income predominately by selling products at price levels that produce revenues in excess of the costs we incur to make these products available to our customers. Such costs include procurement and distribution costs, facility occupancy and operational costs, and overhead expenses. Our fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to January 31. All references to 2025, 2024 and 2023 are to the fiscal years ended January 31, 2026, February 1, 2025 and February 3, 2024, respectively, unless specifically indicated otherwise.
We maintain a web site (www.thekrogerco.com) that includes additional information about the Company. Kroger’s website and any reports or other information made available by Kroger through its website are not part of or incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We make available through our web site, free of charge, our annual reports on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, our current reports on Form 8-K and our interactive data files, including amendments. These forms are available as soon as reasonably practicable after we have filed them with, or furnished them electronically to, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and are also available at www.sec.gov.
Quoted from the business section of this company’s 10-K filed March 31, 2026. Read the filing
Four distinct intelligence areas
The IA view
Risk Intelligence
Production core
60
Fundamentally Qualified
+5.1 vs Jun 30, 2026
Business Quality qualification score from the locked IA Defensive Research Core. Price Risk stays a separate category and is never blended in.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Long-Term Potential
Research model
38
Weak Compounder
-22.3 vs Jun 30, 2026
Durable business economics and reinvestment characteristics. Independent external validation is pending.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Fundamental Momentum
Research model
46
Middle
-20.7 vs Jun 30, 2026
Direction and breadth of change in underlying business fundamentals. Not a price-momentum signal.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Elite Investor Activity
Supplemental
50
Mid range
0 vs Jun 30, 2026
Only 5 tracked managers disclosed a position — treat as limited coverage.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Company intelligence
KR score history
Each area is measured and reported separately. No combined score exists.
KR intelligence history from 2023-09-30 to 2026-09-11. Risk Intelligence 59.5 on 2026-09-11, up 5.1 from 54.4 on 2026-06-30. Long-Term Potential 38 on 2026-09-11, down 22.3 from 60.3 on 2026-06-30. Fundamental Momentum 45.9 on 2026-09-11, down 20.7 from 66.6 on 2026-06-30. Elite Investor Activity 50 on 2026-09-11, unchanged 0 from 50 on 2026-06-30. Each area is reported separately and is never combined into a single score.
Risk Intelligence 59.5 as of Sep 11, 2026 (+5.1 vs prior period) · Production core
Long-Term Potential 38 as of Sep 11, 2026 (-22.3 vs prior period) · Research model
Fundamental Momentum 45.9 as of Sep 11, 2026 (-20.7 vs prior period) · Research model
Elite Investor Activity 50 as of Sep 11, 2026 (0 vs prior period) · Supplemental
Share price
KR price history
Closing prices adjusted for splits and dividends. Past prices do not indicate future results.
- 6M change
- -21.0%
- 1Y change
- -11.0%
- 3Y change
- +38.6%
- 5Y change
- +59.5%
- Max change
- +135.8%
Last stored close $58.49 · -11.0% over the selected range · 52 sessions shown
Balanced evidence
Why IA likes it
- Business Quality meets the frozen IA Defensive qualification.
- The IA Compounder research model identifies strong compounding characteristics.
- More disclosed holders are new or increasing than reducing or exiting.
Risk and uncertainty
What IA doesn’t like
- No specific negative evidence is available. This is not evidence of low risk.
What would change our view
- Business Quality falling below the frozen qualification threshold.
- Price Risk moving to a less favorable category.
- A sustained reversal in the Fundamental Momentum research evidence.
- New material public ownership disclosures.
Public filings · descriptive only
Elite Investor Activity
Reporting holders
1
New holders
1
Increasing
0
Reducing
0
Exiting
0
Coverage
Excellent
Positive disclosed activity · Report period 2016-12-31 · Public 12/22/2023
| Manager | Change | Portfolio weight | Rank | Disclosed |
|---|
Insufficient high-confidence manager coverage.
Objective stored changes
What changed
- Risk Intelligence
Price Risk category changed
Price Risk moved from Not Available to Lower risk.
- Long-Term Potential
IA Compounder softened
IA Compounder research score moved from 60.3 to 27.7.
- Fundamental Momentum
Fundamental Momentum softened
Fundamental Momentum research score moved from 66.6 to 42.1.
- Risk Intelligence
IA Defensive improved
Business Quality qualification score moved from 42.8 to 54.4.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus weakened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 58 to 50 for the reporting period ending 2026-06-30.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus strengthened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 30 to 58 for the reporting period ending 2026-03-31.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus weakened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 50 to 30 for the reporting period ending 2025-12-31.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus strengthened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 20 to 50 for the reporting period ending 2025-09-30.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus weakened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 70 to 20 for the reporting period ending 2025-06-30.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus strengthened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 50 to 70 for the reporting period ending 2025-03-31.
Ownership timeline
No high-confidence public ownership events are available.
General research only. Not personalized advice. Public filings may be delayed, amended, incomplete, or reflect positions that have changed since the reporting date.