KR

Walmart Inc. WMT shares plunged 8.1% after the retail giant released first-quarter fiscal 2027 results, even though the company delivered healthy sales growth and reiterated its full-year guidance. The sharp sell-off reflected investor concerns over profitability pressures and a cautious consumer environment rather than weakness in Walmart’s core operations.Over the past three months, Walmart has declined 6.2%, which is in line with the industry’s performance. However, the retail giant has underperformed the broader Zacks Retail – Wholesale sector as well as the S&P 500’s respective gains of 4.3% and 9.2% in the same time frame. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Meanwhile, other retailers like Target Corporation TGT and Costco Wholesale Corporation COST have risen 10.4% and 1.7%, respectively, whereas The Kroger Co. KR has dipped 1.5%. Walmart’s post-earnings drop was mainly related to profitability concerns. The company delivered strong first-quarter fiscal 2027 sales, with total revenues rising 7.3% year over year to $177.8 billion. However, the adjusted operating income (on a constant currency or cc basis) increased only 5.1% to $7.5 billion, showing that higher costs limited margin expansion.Fuel costs were a major pressure point. Walmart absorbed about $175 million in higher-than-planned fuel expenses across its distribution and fulfillment operations, which hurt operating income growth by roughly 250 basis points. This seems to have weighed on investor sentiment despite the company’s solid sales performance.Operating, selling, general and administrative expenses increased 8.9% to nearly $37.2 billion. Higher depreciation costs from investments in automation, technology and fulfillment, along with increased healthcare expenses from associate enrollment and medical cost inflation, added to the pressure. Investors were also cautious about consumer spending. Walmart noted that lower-income shoppers remain budget-conscious amid elevated fuel prices and inflation. This combination of slower profit growth, cost inflation and cautious consumer signals overshadowed Walmart’s strong sales trends, triggering the sharp pullback in WMT shares. Despite near-term concerns, Walmart’s long-term growth story remains firmly intact. The company continues to gain market share across income groups, supported by its strong value positioning and expanding omnichannel ca...

CINCINNATI, May 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) announced today it will host its first quarter 2026 earnings conference call at 8:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, June 18, 2026. Kroger's management team will comment on financial and operational results for the first quarter 2026. The presentation will broadcast online at ir.kroger.com. Click on "Quarterly Results" to access the event. An on-demand replay of the webcast will be available at approximately 1:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 18, 2026. About KrogerAt The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are, across our family of companies more than 400,000 associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through an eCommerce and store experience under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site. Kroger's first quarter 2026 ended on May 23, 2026. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kroger-announces-first-quarter-conference-call-with-investors-302777647.html

(Bloomberg) -- Walmart Inc. warned rising fuel costs are squeezing the company’s bottom line and could lead to higher prices for shoppers. Most Read from Bloomberg Spot the Difference: Putin Gets Trump Treatment From Xi in China Iran Says the US’s Latest Proposal Has ‘Narrowed the Gaps’ Modi’s Toffee Gift to Meloni Ignites Rally in Wrong Indian Stock Iran in Talks With Oman Over Permanent Hormuz Toll System Dow Average Climbs to Record on US-Iran Deal Hopes: Markets Wrap The world’s largest retailer said comparable sales in US stores, excluding fuel, rose 4.1% in the latest quarter, slightly better than what Wall Street analysts were expecting. It also forecast adjusted profit for the second quarter that missed expectations. The mixed results show that the company continues to gain market share across income levels with its focus on low prices, fast delivery and wide assortment. But that emphasis on affordability is facing pressure as inflation accelerates and the conflict in Iran drives up fuel prices. Walmart shares fell as much as 8% on Thursday, the steepest intraday drop since November 2023. The stock had risen 17% so far this year as of Wednesday’s close. Shares of some of Walmart’s peers, including Target and Kroger, also fell in regular trading on Thursday. “The high-income consumer is spending with confidence in many categories, whereas the low-income consumer, we can tell, is more budget-conscious, trying to navigate certain financial distress,” Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said in an interview with Bloomberg News. Walmart is viewed as an economic barometer due to its large size and footprint across the US and other markets. Spending has largely held up in recent years, although consumers have become increasingly selective with their purchases. Good deals and unique products can still attract buyers. Additionally, higher tax refunds this year have given families some extra cash, but this benefit is expected to fade. As fuel prices pressure consumers’ budgets, they’re putting less gas in their tanks, with the number of gallons per pump falling below 10 for the first time since 2022. If fuel costs stay at current levels, prices across the board could rise in the second quarter and the second half of the year, Rainey said. Walmart’s prices rose about 1.2% during the last quarter. Fuel weighed on Walmart’s profit margin, with the company a...

Walmart (WMT) stock has taken a dip on its first quarter results that were in line with Wall Street estimates, reporting $177.8 billion in revenue and adjusted earnings of $0.66 per share. The retailer also reported 4.1% in US same-store sales growth and maintained its full-year outlook. TD Cowen senior research analyst Oliver Chen reacts to Walmart's figures and explains how he is viewing value themes overtake the retail sector as consumers remain hard pressed by higher prices.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Release Date: May 15, 2026 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Revenue increased approximately 22.9% year-over-year to $3.3 million, driven by retail expansion and growth across multiple categories. Sales in the Cutter business increased by 46% year-over-year, with new account contributions from Kroger and Weiss Markets. International sales grew by 50% year-over-year, reflecting expanding demand for clean label products. The company expanded its retail footprint to over 6,000 locations, including new partnerships with Target, Safeway, and The Fresh Market. Edible Garden AG Inc (NASDAQ:EDBL) is advancing its RTD initiative, leveraging Tetra Pak processing and packaging solutions to meet growing demand for clean-label, shelf-stable nutrition products. Operating expenses increased to $10 million from $5.6 million year-over-year, driven by higher cost of goods sold and increased depreciation and amortization. Net loss for the quarter was approximately $3.7 million, compared to $3.3 million in the prior-year period. The increase in cost of goods sold is seen as transitional, with efforts underway to renegotiate supplier terms. The company is still in the early stages of its evolution into higher-margin, shelf-stable categories, which may take time to fully realize. Despite revenue growth, the core produce business, particularly cut herbs, remains a low-margin segment, impacting overall profitability. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Signs with EDBL. Is EDBL fairly valued? Test your thesis with our free DCF calculator. Q: Across the 6,000 retail locations your products are found in, how many of those stores are carrying the cut herb products? How many of them are carrying vitamin supplements? A: It's a combination and a mix. We're seeing growth in cut herbs, which is the preferred form for consumers due to convenience. Target will be coming online soon, which will be significant for us. Currently, cut herbs make up 40-50% of our business, with vitamin supplements at 20%. As we evolve, especially with ready-to-drinks (RTDs), this mix will change, with RTDs becoming a larger part of our business due to higher velocity and margin. (Jim Krash, CEO) Q: Regarding the new ready-to-drink platform, have you provided prototypes to retail partners, and what has...

Interested in FitLife Brands Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better. Revenue surged 59% year over year to $25.3 million in Q1 2026, largely driven by the Irwin acquisition and a 166% jump in wholesale sales. Online revenue also rose 6% from a year ago. Profitability weakened as gross margin fell to 37.6% from 43.1% and net income slipped to $1.7 million, with higher amortization, interest expense, and lower margins from Irwin pressuring results. The company is still seeing growth opportunities from Irwin’s Amazon rollout and new launches, including Amazon Canada and Kroger placements for MusclePharm, while also continuing to pay down debt. FitLife Brands (NASDAQ:FTLF) reported sharply higher first-quarter 2026 revenue, driven by the acquisition of Irwin, while profitability declined as the company absorbed lower Irwin margins and higher acquisition-related expenses. Chief Executive Officer Dayton Judd said total revenue for the quarter was $25.3 million, up 59% from the same period last year. Wholesale revenue was $14.1 million, or 56% of total revenue, increasing 166% year over year. Online revenue was $11.2 million, or 44% of revenue, up 6% from the first quarter of 2025. → Micron Investors Face a High-Stakes Moment After the Latest Rally Gross margin fell to 37.6% from 43.1% a year earlier, which Judd attributed primarily to the Irwin acquisition. Irwin has historically operated at lower gross margins than Legacy FitLife, he said. However, gross margins improved sequentially for both Legacy FitLife and Irwin from the fourth quarter of 2025 to the first quarter of 2026. Net income was $1.7 million, down from $2.0 million in the prior-year period. Judd said the decline was driven mainly by higher amortization expense and interest expense tied to the Irwin acquisition. Adjusted EBITDA was $3.3 million, down 3% from the first quarter of 2025. → How Bad Could Tesla’s Cybertruck Recall Be for Shares? Irwin generated $12.8 million in first-quarter revenue, with $10.3 million, or 80%, coming from wholesale customers and 20% from online sales. Irwin’s gross margin was 34.0%, and contribution as a percentage of revenue was 31.3%. Judd said FitLife began selling Irwin products on Amazon in mid-October and saw the business scale throughout the fourth quarter. Irwin Amazon revenue reached almost $500,000 in December 2025, approximately $800,000 in March 2026 and ap...

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) is one of the Best Undervalued Stocks to Buy Under $100. The company is set to release its fiscal Q1 2026 results next month on June 2. The Street expects the company to post revenue of around $45.35 billion, up significantly from the previous quarter’s revenue of $34.73 billion. The GAAP EPS is also expected to be higher at $1.61 compared to the previous quarter’s EPS of $1.35. Separately, on April 27, Erste Group downgraded The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) from Buy to Hold without disclosing any price targets. Earlier, on March 9, BofA had reiterated a Buy rating on the stock with a price target of $85. Analysts at Erste Group noted that while the valuation of the company is significantly low, they expect it to remain low over the medium term. As a result, the firm finds limited upside for the stock, hence the downgrade. On the other hand, BofA likes the company better under the leadership of CEO Greg Foran. The firm pointed to the company’s digital and in-store execution and value offerings. BofA also highlighted that the company’s brands continue to outperform national brands and also noted that the firm sees private label products as a significant advantage. The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) operates food and drug retail stores across the U.S., including combination food and drug stores, multi-department stores, marketplace stores, and price-impact warehouses. While we acknowledge the potential of KR as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 10 Best Stocks to Buy While the Market Is Down and 14 Stocks That Will Double in the Next 5 Years. Disclosure: None. Insider Monkey focuses on uncovering the best investment ideas of hedge funds and insiders. Please subscribe to our free daily e-newsletter to get the latest investment ideas from hedge funds’ investor letters by entering your email address below.

Investors will soon learn what changes Berkshire Hathaway made to its equity portfolio in the first quarter—and the company’s smaller holdings probably were impacted.

With Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. SFM set to announce its first-quarter 2026 earnings results on April 29, after the market closes, investors are faced with a critical question: Can SFM continue its streak of surprising results, or will challenges in the grocery sector temper growth? The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter revenues stands at $2,326 million, indicating a 4% increase from the prior-year reported figure. On the earnings front, the consensus estimate has been stable at $1.67 per share over the past 30 days, implying a year-over-year decline of 7.7%. Sprouts Farmers has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 8.7%, on average. In the last reported quarter, this Phoenix, AZ-based company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.4%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research As investors prepare for Sprouts Farmers’ first-quarter results, the question looms regarding earnings beat or miss. Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Sprouts Farmers this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. However, that’s not the case here. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Sprouts Farmers has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) and an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. Quote Sprouts Farmers’ first-quarter performance is likely to have benefited from the continued strength of its differentiated product assortment and focus on health-oriented offerings. The company has consistently leaned into innovation, introducing new products and expanding its private-label portfolio, which has resonated well with its target customer base. This emphasis on unique, attribute-driven products and emerging wellness trends has helped reinforce customer loyalty and supported steady demand, particularly among health-conscious shoppers. Another key tailwind has been the company’s ongoing store expansion and solid performance of new locations. Sprouts Farmers has maintained a steady pace of openings, with newer stores delivering strong productivity and reinforcing its long-term growth strategy. This expansion, combined with a growing geographic fo...

Transitioned from a core controlled environment agriculture platform to an innovation-driven consumer packaged goods business focusing on higher-margin opportunities. Expanded retail distribution to nearly 6,000 locations, driven by new placements with Kroger, Weis Markets, and Safeway. Attributed Q4 gross profit losses to deliberate, front-loaded investments in onboarding major retail accounts to secure 2026 shelf space. Achieved double-digit growth in cut herbs and continued strength in the vitamin and supplement portfolio across domestic and international markets. Strategically exited low-margin floral and lettuce categories, which accounted for approximately $1 million in 2024 revenue, to focus on more profitable segments. Leveraged a 'Farm-to-Formula' approach to enter the ready-to-drink (RTD) category, utilizing existing sustainable manufacturing infrastructure. Maintained a 98% in-stock and acceptance rate with major retailers, which management cites as a key driver for being awarded new product categories. Projecting a return to normalized gross margins in 2026 as new retail programs scale and third-party procurement costs decline. Developing a state-of-the-art RTD manufacturing initiative at the Midwest facility in partnership with Tetra Pak to meet massive scale requirements. Targeting the global RTD market, which is estimated at $842.5 billion in 2025 and projected to reach $1.26 trillion by 2033. Anticipating the RTD segment to deliver margins in the 20% to 30% range, significantly higher than the core produce business. Planning to reach the marketplace with new RTD products toward the tail end of 2027, focusing on sports, performance, and GLP-1 supportive nutrition. SG&A expenses increased to $15.3 million for the full year, primarily driven by non-recurring costs related to the NaturalShrimp asset acquisition. Reduced total debt by approximately $0.6 million year-over-year while improving stockholders' equity through preferred stock issuance. Identified the 'Pickle Party' brand as a 'sleeper' category with significant growth potential within the expanded CPG portfolio. Secured first international CPG shipment of Kick Sports Nutrition to PriceSmart, marking a strategic entry into markets beyond domestic retail. Our analysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1...

As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q4. Today, we are looking at non-discretionary retail stocks, starting with Kroger (NYSE:KR). Food is non-discretionary because it's essential for life (maybe not those Oreos?), so consumers naturally need a place to buy it. Selling food is a notoriously tough business, however, as the costs of procuring and transporting oftentimes perishable products and operating stores fit to sell those products can be high. Competition is also fierce because the alternatives are numerous. While online competition threatens all of retail, grocery is one of the least penetrated because of the nature of the product. Still, we could be one startup or innovation away from a paradigm shift. The 9 non-discretionary retail stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.9% below. While some non-discretionary retail stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 2.9% since the latest earnings results. With a sprawling network of over 2,400 locations offering digital pickup services, Kroger (NYSE:KR) operates supermarkets, pharmacies, and fuel centers across 35 states, offering customers groceries, household items, and private-label products. Kroger reported revenues of $34.73 billion, up 1.2% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 0.8%. Overall, it was a mixed quarter for the company with a narrow beat of analysts’ gross margin estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ revenue estimates. Kroger delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates of the whole group. Interestingly, the stock is up 6.4% since reporting and currently trades at $72.37. Read our full report on Kroger here, it’s free. Appealing to the budget-conscious consumer, Dollar General (NYSE:DG) is a discount retailer that sells a wide range of household essentials, groceries, apparel/beauty products, and seasonal merchandise. Dollar General reported revenues of $10.91 billion, up 5.9% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 0.9%. The business had a very strong quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates. Dollar Genera...

Futures are slipping this morning as investors weigh renewed Middle East geopolitical risk and the implications for energy prices, inflation and growth. The ongoing conflict involving the U.S., Israel and Iran continues to push oil prices higher, and traders are increasingly cautious about how elevated energy costs might feed into broader inflation and complicate the Federal Reserve’s timeline for potential rate cuts. Unlock hedge fund-level data and powerful investing tools for smarter, sharper decisions Stay ahead of the market with the latest news and analysis and maximize your portfolio's potential Energy markets continue to exert outsized influence on overall sentiment. Crude oil prices remain elevated on supply-risk fears. That dynamic is contributing to a divergence between cyclical, energy-related sectors and more sensitive growth stocks, which are under greater pressure in the current risk-off environment. Investor focus remains on near-term inflation data, labor market reports, and Fed speeches that could clarify the central bank’s stance amid lingering geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainties. Market positioning is cautious with volatility elevated, and traders are watching closely for any sign of de-escalation or fresh data that might shift risk sentiment. In pre-market trading, S&P 500 futures fell 0.39%, Nasdaq futures fell 0.48% and Dow futures fell 0.67%. Check out this morning’s top movers from around Wall Street, compiled by The Fly. HIGHER – Trade Desk (TTD) up 21% after The Information reported OpenAI and the company held early talks regarding a partnership to help the AI tool sell ads UP AFTER EARNINGS – Veeva (VEEV) up 8% Cracker Barrel (CBRL) up 8% Burlington Stores (BURL) up 6% Broadcom (AVGO) up 4% DOWN AFTER EARNINGS – Grocery Outlet (GO) down 25% StubHub (STUB) down 15% Ciena (CIEN) down 5% Victoria’s Secret (VSCO) down 5% BJ’s Wholesale (BJ) down 4% American Eagle (AEO) down 2% Kroger (KR) down 1% Published first on TheFly – the ultimate source for real-time, market-moving breaking financial news. Try Now>> See Insiders’ Hot Stocks on TipRanks >> Read More on TTD: Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue Video: Broadcom up on bullish AI chip sales view Trade Desk Stock (TTD) Pops on Potential OpenAI Deal Closing Bell Movers: Veeva up 13%, Broadcom up 5% on earnings beat Trade Desk up 9% at $27.53 afterhours after OpenAI ad partn...