Kroger Stock Price, News & Analysis

The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) is providing affordable meal ideas to help families save during the holiday season, with meals averaging around $10 for a family of four. Suggestions include meals like grilled cheese, spaghetti and meatballs, and rotisserie chicken. The company is offering over $360 million in savings from December 11-24, 2022, on items essential for holiday meals. Customers can earn 2X Fuel Points on gift cards and 4X Fuel Points on Fridays, along with a 30-day free trial for its Boost membership, which helps maximize savings.

Kroger Health and Prime Therapeutics have established a direct agreement ensuring the Kroger Family of Pharmacies remains in-network, effective January 1, 2023. This partnership aims to enhance healthcare access for over 33 million Americans, focusing on Medicare members. The agreement prevents disruption for Medicare Part D customers, maintaining affordability and pricing transparency. Kroger Health emphasizes its commitment to quality healthcare, previously administering over 11 million Covid-19 vaccine doses and providing extensive pharmacy services nationwide.

The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) has celebrated the opening of its 1,000th Murray's Cheese shop, expanding its presence to over 30 states. This milestone follows the introduction of Murray's cheese counters in 2008, offering customers a curated selection of more than 150 types of cheese along with expert guidance. Murray's Cave Aged cheese line recently won several awards at the 2022 World Cheese Awards, showcasing the brand's commitment to quality. This holiday season, Murray's features a variety of gourmet gift options and prepared cheese boards, enhancing the shopping experience for food lovers.

The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) announced it received a "second request" from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) concerning its merger with Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE: ACI). This request will extend the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. Kroger remains optimistic about the merger's benefits, including improved competition, lower prices, and better access to fresh food. The company continues to expect the merger to complete in early 2024, while complying with FTC requests and planning potential divestitures.

Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) reported a strong third quarter, with identical sales excluding fuel increasing by 6.9%. The company achieved an operating profit of $841 million and adjusted EPS of $0.88. Total sales reached $34.2 billion, up from $31.9 billion year-on-year. Digital sales grew by 10%, and the Fresh Produce Initiative accelerated, certifying 1,252 stores. Kroger raised its full-year guidance, expecting identical sales between 5.1% to 5.3% and adjusted EPS of $4.05 to $4.15.

The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) announced its Thanksgiving sales projections, expecting to sell 55 million pounds of turkey and more than 6 million pounds of cranberries. A survey by 84.51º indicates that 85% of customers plan to celebrate with traditional meals. In addition to turkey, Kroger highlighted new product offerings such as a half-pumpkin and half-pecan pie. Customers are also opting for seasonal cocktails. Kroger's Our Brands' products aim to make holiday meals affordable, featuring items like Private Selection Cheesecake Bites and Kroger Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream.

Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) announced it will host its third quarter 2022 earnings conference call on December 1, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. ET. The management team will discuss the financial and operational results for the third quarter, which ended on November 5, 2022. The call will be available online, and a replay will be accessible around 1 p.m. ET on the same day. This event is part of Kroger's commitment to transparency and communication with investors.