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If You Invested $1000 in Kroger a Decade Ago, This is How Much It'd Be Worth Now

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How much a stock's price changes over time is a significant driver for most investors. Not only can price performance impact your portfolio, but it can help you compare investment results across sectors and industries as well.

FOMO, or the fear of missing out, also plays a role in investing, particularly with tech giants and popular consumer-facing stocks.

What if you'd invested in Kroger (KR - Free Report) ten years ago? It may not have been easy to hold on to KR for all that time, but if you did, how much would your investment be worth today?

Kroger's Business In-Depth

With that in mind, let's take a look at Kroger's main business drivers.

The Kroger Co., which operates in the thin-margin grocery industry, has been undergoing a complete makeover, not only with respect to products but also in terms of the way consumers prefer shopping grocery. The company is launching plant-based products as well as eyeing technological expansion.  It acquired meal kit company Home Chef and partnered with British online grocery delivery firm Ocado that reinforces its position in the online ordering, automated fulfillment and home delivery space. It has also introduced grocery delivery service Kroger Ship and inked a deal with driverless car company Nuro.

This Cincinnati, Ohio-based company operates supermarkets under banners including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, Mariano's, Pick 'n Save, QFC, Ralphs and Smith's. Further, it also manufactures and processes certain food products that are sold in its supermarkets.

Kroger’s supermarket and multi-department stores operate under four formats combo stores (combination of food and drug stores), multi-department stores, marketplace stores, and price impact warehouses. The combo stores include natural food and organic sections, pharmacies, general merchandise, and pet centers, as well as offer perishables items such as fresh seafood and organic produce.

The multi-department stores offer a collection of general merchandise products such as apparel, home fashion and furnishings, electronics, automotive products, toys, and fine jewelry. The marketplace stores include full-service grocery and pharmacy departments and a general merchandise area that includes outdoor living products, electronics, home goods, and toys.

The combo stores, multi department stores, and marketplace stores also have fuel centers. The price impact warehouse offers grocery, health, and beauty care items.

Bottom Line

Anyone can invest, but building a successful investment portfolio requires research, patience, and a little bit of risk. So, if you had invested in Kroger ten years ago, you're likely feeling pretty good about your investment today.

According to our calculations, a $1000 investment made in March 2013 would be worth $3,022.14, or a gain of 202.21%, as of March 13, 2023, and this return excludes dividends but includes price increases.

The S&P 500 rose 148.95% and the price of gold increased 13.15% over the same time frame in comparison.

Looking ahead, analysts are expecting more upside for KR.

Kroger has been undertaking efforts to strengthen its position not only with respect to products but also in terms of the way consumers shop. It has been making investments to enhance product freshness and quality as well as expand digital capabilities. Kroger has been augmenting Our Brands portfolio by launching new products. Better execution and the sustained demand for food helped it post stellar fourth-quarter fiscal 2022 results. Management issued an upbeat earnings view for fiscal 2023. Kroger’s Leading with Fresh and Accelerating with Digital initiatives should help generate sustainable returns. Recently, Kroger entered into a deal to acquire Albertsons Companies. The tie-up would help strengthen its position in the competitive grocery space. The combined entity would benefit from a loyal customer base and a broader portfolio.

The stock has jumped 5.13% over the past four weeks. Additionally, no earnings estimate has gone lower in the past two months, compared to 7 higher, for fiscal 2023; the consensus estimate has moved up as well.

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