Kroger's shares rise as grocer says shoppers seek lower prices, cook more at home

Shares of Kroger rose about 9% on Friday as the supermarket operator raised its full-year sales outlook and said it's drawing shoppers seeking lower-priced store brands and cheaper alternatives to dining out.The Cincinnati-based grocer said it now expects identical sales, excluding fuel, to increase by 2.25% and 3.25% year over year, higher than its previous expectations for an increase of between 2% and 3%. Identical sales is an industry-specific metric that takes out one-time factors, such as store openin ...