The Kroger Co. (KR), one of the largest supermarket chains in the United States, has reported impressive financial results for the first quarter of 2023, showing a 47% increase in net earnings per diluted share compared to the same period in 2022. The company experienced higher income tax expenses, and its operating profit margin decreased, but the increased gross margin rate and fuel earnings contributed to the overall growth in profitability.
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Kroger’s Operating Profit and Margin
Kroger’s operating profit was $1.5 billion, or 3.3% of sales, for Q1 2023, which is a 12 basis points decrease compared to $1.5 billion or 3.4% of sales in Q1 2022. This decrease was mainly due to increased operating, general, and administrative (OG&A) expenses and depreciation and amortization expenses as a percentage of sales. However, the company achieved a higher first-in, first-out (FIFO) gross margin rate, which partially offset the decrease in the operating profit margin.
In Q1 2023, Kroger’s FIFO operating profit was $1.6 billion, revealing a 10 basis points increase compared to $1.6 billion in Q1 2022 when adjusted for certain items. Fuel earnings played a significant role in the company’s FIFO operating profit growth during this period.
Margin Expansion Initiatives and Investments
Kroger has been actively investing in various margin expansion initiatives that are expected to drive future growth. Among these initiatives are investments in associates, termination of the agreement with Express Scripts, and strategic investments in factors such as supermarket sales leverage and cost-saving measures. These efforts have started to show positive results, leading to administrative efficiencies, improved store productivity, and reduced sourcing costs.
Depreciation and amortization expenses increased mainly due to the depreciation of equipment recorded under finance leases related to new Kroger Delivery customer fulfillment center locations, totaling $3.5 billion in capital investments during the four-quarter rolling period ending in Q1 2023. This increase also reflects a decrease in the average useful life of these capital investments.
Cash Flow and Investments
Furthermore, Kroger generated $2.9 billion in cash from operations in Q1 2023, compared to $1.1 billion during the same period in 2022. The increase in operating cash flow is attributed to decreased pharmacy receivables, favorable cash flows for FIFO inventory, an increase in non-income-based tax accruals, and a decrease in income taxes receivable.
Investing activities used $947 million in cash in Q1 2023, compared to $723 million in Q1 2022. This increase is due to higher payments for property and equipment, partially offset by increased proceeds from asset sales. Additionally, cash used for financing activities decreased from $818 million in Q1 2022 to $296 million in Q1 2023, primarily due to reduced treasury stock purchases.
During Q1 2023, Kroger invested $1.1 billion in capital investments, excluding mergers, acquisitions, and lease buyouts, an increase from $971 million in Q1 2022. The company opened, expanded, or acquired 11 supermarkets and completed 117 major remodels during this period. Kroger’s total supermarket square footage remained consistent with the previous year, with a 0.3% increase excluding mergers, acquisitions, and operational closings.
Resilience and Future Growth
As the retail industry continues to face challenges due to inflationary pressures and supply chain constraints, Kroger has demonstrated resilience and adaptation to these issues. With strategic investments and a focus on driving future growth, the company is well-positioned to navigate through the evolving market landscape and maintain its momentum in improving profitability and economic performance.
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!