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Looking up the ticker with the regulator···
0s · usually 20–30 seconds for a cold read
Kroger Co.
Rule-based classification of fundamentals against the sector. Not a price forecast and not investment advice.
Weak signals across every dimension
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1 of 5 met · composite in line with peers
Business quality, valuation against the sector, and position in the 52-week range — whether they line up or not.
Stable quality
1 signal unavailable
Profitability
3/4
Debt & liquidity
2/3
Efficiency
1/2
Cash generation stands out against an otherwise muted picture: FCF yield runs at 8.2%, some +86% above the sector median, and FCF grew 59.4% year over year — well ahead of the sector. EPS, however, fell -58.0% against a sector median of -11.0%, and operating margin at 1.3% sits -90% below the sector median, which is a structural feature of thin-margin grocery retail rather than a recent slip. EV/EBITDA of 9.4× is -33% below the sector median, so the multiple is undemanding — though the F-Score of 6/9 and a composite of 39/100 against the sector median suggest the discount reflects real quality constraints. Consensus and the realized three-year EPS CAGR are broadly aligned here, and the beat rate over eight quarters has been weak, with the most recent quarter landing just -58.0% below consensus — leaving little in the fundamentals to argue the valuation is mispriced in either direction.
| Ticker | Name | F-Score | ROE | Revenue YoY | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | Colgate-Palmolive | 5/9 | 1 603% |
Quarter-by-quarter classification · a retrospective read by the current logic · not a price forecast
Rule-based classification of fundamentals against the sector. Not a price forecast and not investment advice. The method did not see these quarters in real time; this is the current logic applied to past reports.
On September 9, 2026, track whether operating margin moves closer to the sector median of 12.2% and whether EPS growth reverses its current -11.0% reading. Also check if FCF yield holds above the sector median — its 4.40% is a relative strength worth monitoring quarter to quarter.
In the Management's Discussion section, look for how Kroger explains the operating margin gap versus peers and what levers it cites for EPS recovery. The Leverage and Liquidity sub-score of 2/3 on the F-Score warrants a close read of the debt maturity schedule and interest coverage figures.
Pick two or three companies from the same-sector table in section 06 and line up one metric — EV/EBITDA, FCF yield, or operating margin. KR's EV/EBITDA of 14.0× sits 33% below the sector median, so seeing where your chosen peers land on that same measure adds useful context without drawing broad conclusions.
Steps you can check yourself, based on the figures in this brief.
Piotroski F-Score: nine binary tests of financial strength from the annual report. A ✓ marks a test passed, a dot (·) a test failed.
Over 4 years: -60%+103%-38%+94%
Over 4 years: 1.431.632.232.78
Over 4 years: +8%+1%-2%+0%
The context on the right shows how each figure compares with the sector median. The trend below tracks the change over recent fiscal years.
Beat consensus in 6 of 8 recent quarters — the company clears estimates regularly (consensus is often set conservatively).
Last quarter's EPS against consensus, plus the estimated date of the next report.
| +1% |
| 16% |
| COST | Costco | 7/9 | 31% | +8% | 4% |
| GIS | General Mills | 5/9 | -1% | -5% | 5% |
| HSY | Hershey | 4/9 | 19% | +4% | 12% |
| KMB | Kimberly-Clark | 4/9 | 173% | -2% | 14% |
| KO | Coca-Cola | 6/9 | 46% | +2% | 29% |
| KR | Kroger Co. | 6/9 | 14% | +0% | 1% |
| MDLZ | Mondelez | 6/9 | 9% | +6% | 9% |
| MO | Altria | 6/9 | — | -3% | 43% |
| PEP | PepsiCo | 5/9 | 43% | +2% | 12% |
| PG | Procter & Gamble | 6/9 | 30% | +3% | 23% |
| PM | Philip Morris | 7/9 | — | +7% | 37% |
| SYY | Sysco | 6/9 | 99% | +3% | 4% |
| TGT | Target | 6/9 | 24% | -2% | 5% |
| WMT | Walmart | 7/9 | 23% | +5% | 4% |
A sample of 15 companies in the sector including the target, alphabetical, unranked. Data from the latest SEC annual reports.
Rule-based classification of fundamentals against the sector. Not a price forecast and not investment advice.
A simplified retrospective read: no analyst forecast (not available historically); the source is the annual report as of the date, so neighbouring quarters can rest on the same data. Quarters with the same classification in a row are merged into one row — each row is one change in the read, not a separate quarter. One ticker is an illustration of the classification logic, not statistics. How we calculate →