These are top 10 stocks traded on the Robinhood UK platform in July
Investing.com - Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) raised its price target on Kroger (NYSE:KR) to $76.00 from $71.00 on Monday, while maintaining an Equalweight rating on the grocery retailer’s stock. The company’s shares are currently trading at $71.97, near their 52-week high of $73.63, after posting an impressive 9% gain in the past week. According to InvestingPro analysis, Kroger’s overall financial health score is rated as GOOD.
The firm cited Kroger’s accelerating top-line growth and market share inflection as factors supporting continued momentum. Morgan Stanley expects EBIT growth to accelerate to mid-single-digit percentage in the balance of the year, compared to the 1.3% growth recorded in Q1 2025. As a prominent player in the Consumer Staples sector, Kroger has maintained its dividend payments for 20 consecutive years, with a current yield of 1.78%.
The research firm noted that Kroger’s defensiveness and limited tariff exposure increase its attractiveness amid broader concerns regarding consumer sentiment and the macroeconomic backdrop, which is partially driven by tariffs.
Morgan Stanley’s risk/reward analysis for Kroger tilts slightly positive, with approximately 46% upside potential in its bull case of $105 and about 37% downside risk in its bear case of $45, alongside roughly 6% upside to its $76 price target.
The firm identified potential modest tailwinds for Kroger from higher Food at Home inflation and Express Scripts re-entering the ID base, while highlighting heightened competition and risk of a broader consumer slowdown as factors that balance the overall risk/reward profile.
In other recent news, Kroger has reported its first-quarter earnings for 2025, revealing adjusted earnings per share of $1.49, which surpassed analysts’ expectations of $1.45. The company’s revenue came in slightly below forecasts at $45.12 billion, compared to the anticipated $45.28 billion. Kroger’s identical store sales, excluding fuel, rose by 3.2%, surpassing consensus expectations of 2.4%. Following these results, Telsey Advisory Group raised its price target for Kroger to $82.00, citing strong execution in various business areas. Similarly, Citi increased its price target to $74.00, maintaining a Neutral rating, and highlighted the company’s robust comparable sales growth.
Kroger’s management has revised its fiscal 2025 identical sales guidance to a range of 2.25% to 3.25%, up from the previous 2% to 3% range, while maintaining its earnings per share guidance between $4.60 and $4.80. The company plans to close 60 underperforming stores over the next 18 months but aims to accelerate new store openings in 2026. Kroger’s e-commerce segment showed a 15% growth, reflecting the company’s ongoing digital expansion efforts. Both Telsey and Citi have acknowledged Kroger’s strategic initiatives, including its focus on digital capabilities and customer loyalty, as driving factors for the company’s continued growth and market share gains.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.