Kroger Co Records $62 Million Settlement Charge for Opioid Litigation in West Virginia in Q1 2023

Kroger Co, a leading US retail company with the ticker KR, recently recorded a settlement charge of $62 million relating to opioid litigation claims with the state of West Virginia in the first quarter of 2023. With this settlement, all opioid lawsuits and claims by the West Virginia Attorney General are resolved.

Over the last few years, numerous companies in the pharmaceutical and retail sectors have been facing lawsuits for their alleged involvement in the opioid crisis. These companies have been accused of failing to monitor the distribution of opioids, contributing to addiction, overdoses, and other health issues.

The $62 million charge, taken in Q1 2023, is a significant financial hit for Kroger Co. Despite the settlement, the company continues to vigorously defend against all claims and lawsuits relating to opioids.

In addition to the opioid settlement, Kroger Co reported positive financial results with sales reaching $45.17 billion in Q1 2023, a 1.3% increase compared to the same period in the previous year.

Sales without fuel amounted to $40.07 billion, a 3.5% increase from the previous period. The company’s net earnings attributable to The Kroger Co. reached $962 million, representing a 44.9% increase compared to Q1 2022. Adjusted net earnings attributable to The Kroger Co. amounted to $1.10 billion, an increase of 2.8% from the previous year.

Kroger Co has been focusing on strategic investments in customers, associates, and its seamless ecosystem, enabling the company to adapt to a challenging operating environment. These investments have supported Kroger’s go-to-market strategy, including the growth of alternative profit businesses.

The settlement charge of $62 million marks a milestone for Kroger Co concerning the ongoing opioid crisis. As the company continues to invest in future growth and resolves legal issues, shareholders and investors can expect strong financial performance in the coming quarters.

Income Statement

Financials in millions USD. Fiscal year is February – January. source

Year 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 – 1992
0 Revenue 148258 137888 132498 122286 121852 123280 115337 109830 108465 98375 Upgrade
1 Revenue Growth (YoY) 7.52% 4.07% 8.35% 0.36% -1.16% 6.89% 5.01% 1.26% 10.26% 1.82% Upgrade
2 Cost of Revenue 116480 107539 101597 95294 95103 95811 89502 85496 85512 78138 Upgrade
3 Gross Profit 31778 30349 30901 26992 26749 27469 25835 24334 22953 20237 Upgrade
4 Selling, General & Admin 23848 23203 24500 21208 20786 21510 19162 17946 17161 15196 Upgrade
5 Other Operating Expenses 3804 3669 3621 3533 3349 3347 3221 2812 2655 2316 Upgrade
6 Operating Expenses 27652 26872 28121 24741 24135 24857 22383 20758 19816 17512 Upgrade
7 Operating Income 4126 3477 2780 2251 2614 2612 3452 3576 3137 2725 Upgrade
8 Interest Expense / Income 535 571 544 603 620 601 522 482 488 443 Upgrade
9 Other Expense / Income 694 866 -1131 -480 -2016 509 -2 10 19 12 Upgrade
10 Pretax Income 2897 2040 3367 2128 4010 1502 2932 3084 2630 2270 Upgrade
11 Income Tax 653 385 782 469 900 -405 957 1045 902 751 Upgrade
12 Net Income 2244 1655 2585 1659 3110 1907 1975 2039 1728 1519 Upgrade
13 Net Income Growth 35.59% -35.98% 55.82% -46.66% 63.08% -3.44% -3.14% 18.00% 13.76% 1.47% Upgrade
14 Shares Outstanding (Basic) 718 744 773 799 810 895 942 966 981 1028 Upgrade
15 Shares Outstanding (Diluted) 727 754 781 805 818 904 958 980 993 1040 Upgrade
16 Shares Change -3.58% -3.46% -2.98% -1.59% -9.51% -5.64% -2.24% -1.31% -4.52% -3.17% Upgrade
17 EPS (Basic) 3.10 2.20 3.31 2.05 3.80 2.11 2.08 2.09 1.74 1.47 Upgrade
18 EPS (Diluted) 3.06 2.17 3.27 2.04 3.76 2.09 2.05 2.06 1.72 1.45 Upgrade
19 EPS Growth 41.01% -33.64% 60.29% -45.74% 79.90% 1.95% -0.49% 19.77% 18.62% 4.69% Upgrade
20 Free Cash Flow Per Share 2.09 5.01 5.32 2.26 1.58 0.83 0.75 1.67 1.45 1.23 Upgrade
21 Dividend Per Share 0.940 0.780 0.680 0.600 0.985 0.490 0.450 0.500 0.340 0.307 Upgrade
22 Dividend Growth 20.51% 14.71% 13.33% -39.09% 101.02% 8.89% -10.00% 47.06% 10.75% 24.29% Upgrade
23 Gross Margin 21.43% 22.01% 23.32% 22.07% 21.95% 22.28% 22.40% 22.16% 21.16% 20.57% Upgrade
24 Operating Margin 2.78% 2.52% 2.10% 1.84% 2.15% 2.12% 2.99% 3.26% 2.89% 2.77% Upgrade
25 Profit Margin 1.51% 1.20% 1.95% 1.36% 2.55% 1.55% 1.71% 1.86% 1.59% 1.54% Upgrade
26 Free Cash Flow Margin 1.01% 2.70% 3.11% 1.48% 1.05% 0.60% 0.61% 1.47% 1.31% 1.29% Upgrade
27 Effective Tax Rate 22.54% 18.87% 23.23% 22.04% 22.44% -26.96% 32.64% 33.88% 34.30% 33.08% Upgrade
28 EBITDA 7011 6040 7284 6020 7095 4539 5794 5655 5066 4416 Upgrade
29 EBITDA Margin 4.73% 4.38% 5.50% 4.92% 5.82% 3.68% 5.02% 5.15% 4.67% 4.49% Upgrade
30 Depreciation & Amortization 3579 3429 3373 3289 2465 2436 2340 2089 1948 1703 Upgrade
31 EBIT 3432 2611 3911 2731 4630 2103 3454 3566 3118 2713 Upgrade
32 EBIT Margin 2.31% 1.89% 2.95% 2.23% 3.80% 1.71% 2.99% 3.25% 2.87% 2.76% Upgrade

Note that we may hold securities mentioned in this article. All data is based on recent SEC filings. Even though we have implemented various manual and automatic fact-checking and data acquisition processes, some incorrect information may have slipped through (false positive). Let us know if you find any inconsistencies!