Kroger stock slips after Q2 beat and guidance trim

Published on 09/11/2026 at 15:19 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Kroger stock fell 3.0 percent in pre-open trading after Q2 adjusted EPS reached USD 1.09. FY 2026 identical sales growth was cut to 0.2 percent to 0.8 percent on September 11, 2026.

Fotorealistisches Supermarktregal mit frischem Obst und Gemüse in heller Filiale — Kroger Co. mit ISIN US5010441013 betreibt Supermärkte, hier ein Regal mit frischem Obst und Gemüse, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Kroger Co. stock (ISIN US5010441013) fell 3.0 percent in pre-open trading after the company reported second-quarter adjusted EPS of USD 1.09 on September 11, 2026, while revenue reached USD 34.6 billion.

Q2 beat, guidance cut

According to Kroger, adjusted EPS for the quarter ended August 15, 2026 was USD 1.09, compared with analyst expectations of USD 1.06, and adjusted FIFO operating profit was USD 1.076 billion. The same release kept full-year adjusted EPS guidance at USD 5.10 to USD 5.30, but cut identical sales without fuel growth to 0.2 percent to 0.8 percent from 1.0 percent to 2.0 percent.

That mix matters because the revenue line still grew 2.1 percent year over year to USD 34.6 billion, while the guidance range for identical sales moved lower even as the EPS range stayed unchanged. For investors, the sales trend is now the sharper question.

Analysts lean cautious

According to MarketBeat on September 11, 2026, Kroger has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of USD 71.31, while analysts expect full-year EPS of USD 5.21. In the same market update, the stock was quoted at USD 56.95, leaving it well below the consensus target.

As Benzinga reported on September 11, 2026, Citigroup cut its target to USD 57 from USD 61 and kept a Neutral rating, while Evercore ISI lowered its target to USD 75 from USD 78 and kept Outperform. Morgan Stanley also reduced its target to USD 67 from USD 73, according to ScanX.

Stock below target

At 56.95 USD on September 11, 2026, Kroger stock traded below the USD 71.31 average target and near the USD 57 Citigroup target after the pre-open drop. The company also reiterated adjusted FIFO operating profit guidance of USD 5.0 billion to USD 5.2 billion for fiscal 2026.