Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights Kroger and Albertsons

For Immediate ReleaseChicago, IL – March 7, 2025 – Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights Kroger KR and Albertsons ACI.Buy Kroger or Albertsons Stock Amid Recent Market Activity?Markets hit another speed bump on Thursday with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq down over 2% as ongoing tariff talks in the U.S. have sparked fears of a resurgence in inflationary pressures.That said, Kroger and Albertsons stock have hovered near 52-week highs with both acting as a defensive hedge against recent market volatility.Correlating with such, investors tend to shift to stocks of companies that offer essential goods or services during an economic downturn. Of course, Kroger and Albertsons are of interest as two of the largest grocery retailers.YTD Performance & ValuationThe broader indexes have continued to decline over the last few weeks, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq taking the biggest hit and now down 6% in 2025 compared to the S&P 500’s -1%. Year to date, Albertsons stock has spiked +7% to $21 a share with Kroger shares trading at $63 and up a respectable +5%.Considering their essentiality, Kroger and Albertsons' attractive valuations are certainly catching investors' attention at the moment. Both trade well under the optimum level of less than 2X sales with KR at 0.3X and ACI at just 0.15X. Plus, KR trades at a 13.1X forward earnings multiple with ACI at 9X.Kroger & Albertsons OutlookAlthough their valuations appear to be cheap, Kroger and Albertsons' growth has somewhat stalled. This was supposed to be rectified by their proposed merger, but Kroger’s acquisition of Albertsons was officially denied in December as federal and state courts cited concerns of reduced competition and potential price increases for consumers.Kroger’s total sales are now expected to dip 2% in fiscal 2025 but are projected to stabilize and rise 1% in FY26 to $148.78 billion. On the bottom line, Kroger’s annual earnings are currently slated to drop 6% this year to $4.46 per share compared to EPS of $4.76 in 2024. However, FY26 EPS is forecasted to rebound and increase 7% to $4.77.As for Albertsons', its top line is expected to increase 1% in FY25 and is projected to expand another 3% in FY26 to $82.58 billion. Still, Albertsons' annual earnings are slated to drop to $2.29 per share versus EPS of $2.88 last year. Optimistically, FY26 EPS is projected to stabilize and increase 2% to $2.34.Dividend ComparisonDespite their underwhelming growth, Kroger and Albertsons stock offer generous dividend yields. Topping the S&P 500’s 1.23% average, Albertsons' annual dividend is 2.89% with Kroger’s at 2.05%.Bottom LineFor now, Kroger and Albertsons stock both land a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). They are certainly worth consideration in regards to defensive safety in the portfolio amid macroeconomic concerns. Keeping this in mind, there may be better hedge options in terms of stocks that also have essential operations but better growth prospects.Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.See Stocks Free >>Media ContactZacks Investment Research800-767-3771 ext. 9339support@zacks.comhttps://www.zacks.comPast performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.Just Released: Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2025Hurry – you can still get in early on our 10 top tickers for 2025. 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