The Kroger Co. (ticker: KR) has released an SEC report indicating impressive financial results for the first quarter of 2023. The company’s operating profit was $1.5 billion, consistent with the first quarter of 2022, with a 4% increase in Adjusted FIFO operating profit to $1.7 billion. The quarter also saw a 47% increase in net earnings attributable to The Kroger Co. per diluted common share, from $0.90 in the first quarter of 2022 to $1.32 in the first quarter of 2023. These results demonstrate Kroger’s solid financial performance, despite the current volatile inflationary environment.
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Sales and Digital Growth
The company’s identical sales, excluding fuel, increased by 3.5%, contributing to total sales growth of 3.4% to $39.748 billion. Digital sales saw a significant jump of 15%, driven by the growth of the company’s Pickup solutions by 11% and Delivery solutions by 30%. This growth is attributable to Kroger’s focus on associate training, improvements in customer experience, the Boost membership program, and expansion of its Kroger Delivery network.
Inflationary Environment and LIFO Charge
Kroger is currently operating in a volatile inflationary environment, with year-over-year inflation levels moderating, particularly in fresh categories. The company has managed to effectively handle these inflationary pressures through strong sourcing practices. Kroger’s LIFO (Last-In, First-Out) charge for the first quarter of 2023 was $99 million, compared to $93 million in the first quarter of 2022, reflecting the company’s expected annualized product cost inflation for the year.
Developments and Legal Settlement
In the first quarter of 2023, Kroger opened an additional Kroger Delivery customer fulfillment center in Frederick, Maryland, powered by Ocado’s automated smart platform. The company also recognized legal settlement costs of $62 million, the net present value of the $68 million settlement with the State of West Virginia, over all pending and future opioid litigation claims. The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing or liability by Kroger, and the company will continue to defend against other claims and lawsuits relating to opioids.
Financial Performance and Shareholder Returns
Kroger generated $2.9 billion in cash from operations during the first quarter of 2023, marking a significant 160% increase compared to the first quarter of 2022. As of May 20, 2023, the company’s cash and temporary cash investments increased by $1.6 billion from $1.0 billion at the end of fiscal year 2022 to $2.6 billion.
Furthermore, Kroger returned $188 million to shareholders through dividend payments, with a 23.8% increase in dividends paid per common share, from $0.21 in the first quarter of 2022 to $0.26 in the first quarter of 2023.
Despite the challenges presented by the current inflationary environment, Kroger has managed to achieve strong financial results, bolstered by its strategic investments in digital sales and customer experience. The company’s focus on driving administrative efficiencies, store productivity, and sourcing cost reductions continues to pave the way for sustainable long-term growth.
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!