Kroger Q4 earnings: 'we expect to continue momentum in 2024'

Kroger Co (NYSE: KR) is trading up in premarket on Thursday after reporting upbeat financial results for its fourth quarter.

Kroger stock gains on solid guidance

Investors are cheering also because the retail company issued encouraging guidance for the future. $KR is now calling for its adjusted EPS to fall between $4.30 and $4.50.

Analysts, in comparison, were at $4.30 per share. Rodney McMullen – the chief executive of Kroger Co said in a press release today:

The earnings report arrives shortly after the Federal Trade Commission sued to block its $24.6 billion acquisition of Albertsons Companies Inc. Still, $KR indicated today that it will continue its pursuit of buying $ACI.

Notable figures in Kroger's Q4 earnings release

• Earned $736 million versus the year-ago $450 million
• Per-share earnings also climbed from 81 cents to $1.01
• Adjusted EPS printed at $1.34 as per the earnings report
• Revenue climbed 7.0% year-over-year to $37.1 billion
• Consensus was $1.13 a share on $37.06 billion in revenue

Kroger reported gross margin at 22.7% of sales for its fiscal Q4 and now expects adjusted free cash flow to hit up to $2.7 billion this year. CEO McMullen also said on Thursday: