Kroger's ex-CEO forfeited more than $11 million in bonus and stock payments when he resigned.Rodney McMullen still had hundreds of millions in Kroger stock, according to the filings.Kroger cited McMullen's "personal conduct" in announcing his resignation on Monday.The former CEO of Kroger forfeited more than $11 million when he resigned from the grocery chain this week. McMullen left behind $11.2 million in a potential bonus as well as stock and options when he left the company, Kroger's SEC filings show.Wi ...

Core Insights - Kroger Co's CEO Rodney McMullen has resigned amid an investigation into his personal conduct, which the board deemed inconsistent with the company's ethics policy [1] - The resignation comes just before Kroger's fourth-quarter earnings report, scheduled for March 6, which may impact stock performance [1] - Kroger's stock saw a slight increase of 0.2% in premarket trading following a price-target increase from Deutsche Bank [1] Stock Performance - Historically, Kroger's stock has shown strong post-earnings performance, with only two losses in the last eight earnings reports [2] - The average stock movement post-earnings has been 4.3% over the last two years, but current options pricing indicates an expected swing of 8.4% for the upcoming report [2] Market Dynamics - If current gains hold, Kroger shares could achieve their third gain in four sessions, reflecting a 27.9% year-over-year increase [3] - The stock has found support at the 40-day moving average, which has helped mitigate losses since reaching a record peak of $66.26 on February 24 [3] - There is potential for a short squeeze, as 6.7 million shares are sold short, representing 6% of the stock's float, indicating significant buying power [3]

Core Insights - Kroger Co. is expected to report declines in both revenue and earnings for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, with revenue estimated at $34,594 million, reflecting a 6.7% decrease year-over-year [1] - The earnings per share (EPS) consensus estimate is $1.10, indicating a 17.9% decline from the same quarter last year [2] Financial Performance - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for total retail sales, excluding fuel, is $30,895 million, which represents a 7.3% year-over-year decline [5] - Identical sales without fuel are projected to grow by 1.8%, a slowdown from the previous quarter's 2.3% increase [5] - Supermarket fuel sales are expected to decrease by 4.2% year-over-year to $3,323 million [5] Operational Challenges - Kroger is facing a challenging operating environment due to tightening consumer spending and increased competition, with budget-conscious households affected by inflation and higher interest rates [3] - The company has been dealing with rising operating, general, and administrative (OG&A) expenses, which increased by 22 basis points in the third quarter, potentially impacting profitability [4] Strategic Positioning - Despite the challenges, Kroger's customer segmentation strategy and focus on value-driven offerings are likely to help maintain its competitive position [6] - The company emphasizes a diverse fresh product selection, personalized shopping experiences, and a seamless digital ecosystem as core strengths [6] Earnings Prediction - Current predictions do not indicate a strong likelihood of an earnings beat for Kroger, with a Zacks Rank of 3 and an Earnings ESP of -0.20% [7]

About this content About Josh Lamb After graduating from the University of Kent in the summer of 2022 with a degree in History, Josh joined Proactive later that year as a journalist in the UK editorial team. Josh has reported on a range of areas whilst at Proactive, including energy companies during a time of global crisis, aviation and airlines as the sector recovers from the pandemic, as well as covering economic, social and governance issues. Read more About the publisher Proactive financial news and ...

Grocery giant Kroger said Monday (March 3) that Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen resigned from the company after a board investigation of his personal conduct.The company did not specify the personal conduct but said in a press release that it “while unrelated to the business, was inconsistent with Kroger’s Policy on Business Ethics.”Kroger added that McMullen’s conduct is not related to the company’s financial performance, operations or reporting and did not involve any company employees.The company appoin ...

Core Points - Kroger's CEO Rodney McMullen has resigned following an investigation into his personal conduct that was inconsistent with the company's ethics policy [1][2] - The adverse conduct was not related to Kroger's financials and did not involve any company associates [2] - Ronald "Ron" Sargent, Kroger's lead director, has taken over as interim chairman and CEO while a search committee looks for a permanent replacement [3][8] - Kroger's shares fell by 1% on the morning following the announcement of McMullen's resignation [3] - The resignation comes shortly after the Federal Trade Commission blocked Kroger's $25 billion merger with Albertsons on antitrust grounds [3][4] - Albertsons has filed a lawsuit against Kroger, claiming it failed to make "best efforts" to secure regulatory approval for the merger [7] - McMullen had been with Kroger for over 45 years, serving as CEO for more than a decade [7][8] - Kroger is expected to report its fourth quarter and annual 2024 earnings soon, with projections indicating full-year sales without fuel at the high end of expectations and adjusted earnings per share exceeding predictions [8]

In its upcoming report, Kroger (KR) is predicted by Wall Street analysts to post quarterly earnings of $1.10 per share, reflecting a decline of 17.9% compared to the same period last year. Revenues are forecasted to be $34.59 billion, representing a year-over-year decrease of 6.7%.Over the last 30 days, there has been a downward revision of 0.3% in the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter, leading to its current level. This signifies the covering analysts' collective reconsideration of their initial forec ...

Core Points - Kroger has replaced its CEO Rodney McMullen following an investigation into personal conduct that was deemed inconsistent with the company's business ethics policy [1][5] - Ronald Sargent, a board member and former CEO of Staples, has been appointed as interim CEO and board chair while the company searches for a permanent replacement [2][5] - Mark Sutton will assume the role of lead independent director [3] Company Background - Kroger is the largest supermarket chain in the US by sales, operating grocery stores under various names, including Harris Teeter and Fry's [3] - The company is expected to report its fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday [3]

Core Insights - The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) has delivered significant returns for investors over the past year, achieving returns that are double those of its peers [1]. Group 1 - Kroger's stock has been a reliable source of alpha for investors, indicating strong performance in the retail grocery sector [1].

Core Viewpoint - Kroger Co.'s stock experienced a 1% decline following the resignation of CEO Rodney McMullen after a board investigation into his personal conduct, which was deemed inconsistent with the company's business ethics policy [1] Company Summary - The resignation of CEO Rodney McMullen was prompted by a board investigation regarding his personal conduct [1] - The company did not disclose specific details about the conduct that led to the investigation [1] - The stock price of Kroger Co. (KR) fell by 1% in response to the news of the CEO's departure [1]