Kroger Shares Rise Despite Underwhelming 2026 Forecast

Group 1 - Kroger issued a forecast for current-year sales and earnings that largely fell short of Wall Street expectations, although shares climbed more than 4% intra-day Thursday [1] - Newly appointed CEO Greg Foran assumed leadership during a period marked by uncertainty around consumer spending [1][2] - U.S. consumers are facing headwinds including elevated living costs, a subdued but stabilizing labor market, and changes in global trade policies [2] Group 2 - Kroger expects identical sales excluding fuel to increase between 1% and 2% in 2026, falling short of analyst expectations for approximately 2% growth at the midpoint [3] - Adjusted earnings per share are forecast to range between $5.10 and $5.30, slightly below projections of $5.29 at the midpoint [3] - Fourth-quarter sales totaled $34.73 billion, compared with analyst expectations of $34.98 billion, while adjusted earnings per share were $1.28, exceeding consensus estimates of $1.21 [3]