NEW YORK, May 19, 2026, 13:09 EDT
- Kroger shares added roughly 3.8% midday, building on gains from Monday’s rally.
- The move topped Walmart and Costco, but Amazon slipped.
- Investors are looking at new CEO Greg Foran’s value push as the company faces tough grocery competition.
Kroger Co. shares were up again midday Tuesday, building on gains from the last session. Investors are coming back to the grocer as it looks to cut prices and keep share from Walmart, Amazon, and club stores.
Kroger was up $2.57 at $70.89 after hitting a session high of $71.70. About 3.54 million shares changed hands. The move was stronger than Walmart, which added roughly 1.2%, and Costco, up 1.6%. Amazon dropped 2.8%. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust declined 0.4%. The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR, which holds staples stocks, gained 0.5%.
Kroger is trying to hang onto its post-earnings rebound as the retail sector sorts through food, delivery and discount names. Kroger shares added 3.48% to finish at $68.32 on Monday, outpacing Amazon, Walmart and Costco. The stock is still under its March 12 52-week high of $76.58.
Kroger shares have shifted without a new earnings report from the company. The market read is less neat: investors are adjusting to Greg Foran’s strategy since he became CEO in February after leaving his post as chief at Walmart U.S.
Kroger said in February that Foran took a seat on the board and replaced Ron Sargent as CEO. Sargent had served as interim CEO since March 2025. Sargent said Foran had experience leading big retail chains and improving store execution.
Foran’s approach is basic retail: keep prices sharp, keep stores in shape, move fresh food. On Kroger’s March earnings call, he said if stores are better run and food is fresh, traffic goes up, basket size grows, and share follows. eMarketer analyst Zak Stambor said the focus on value “should help it stay competitive” with shoppers paying close attention to prices. Reuters
Kroger’s latest results put some points on the board for the bulls, but left others wanting more. The grocer posted fourth-quarter identical sales up 2.4% ex fuel and adjusted EPS of $1.28. Adjusted e-commerce sales grew 20%. For 2026, Kroger guided for identical sales ex fuel up 1% to 2%, and adjusted EPS in a range of $5.10 to $5.30. CFO David Kennerley said the outlook lets the company “invest more aggressively in value” and still lift margins.
Kroger is keeping its dividend going. The board set a quarterly payout of 35 cents a share, due on June 1 for holders on record as of May 15. Kroger said its dividend has risen at a 13% compound annual pace since coming back in 2006.
Kroger is still working on its business, but rivals are pulling ahead. Walmart’s sales climbed 4.7% for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, Reuters said Tuesday, while Kroger’s were basically unchanged. Walmart’s bigger size and focus on online helped it keep prices low as shoppers dealt with higher costs. “They go to Walmart” when money is tight, Morningstar analyst Brett Husslein said. Reuters
Kroger could boost traffic with price investments, but profits might get hit if it can’t cut costs enough in sourcing, labor, fulfillment, and promotions. The company’s risk statements flag labor negotiations, shifts in government-funded benefits, tariffs, fuel prices, consumer caution and competition as possible threats to sales or profits.
Kroger is getting the benefit of the doubt from the tape for now. Next up: seeing if this rally is just a defensive move into grocery names, or if investors are betting Foran can use lower prices and faster fulfillment to drive steadier market-share gains.
