Why Kroger Co. (KR) Could Be a Consumer Staples Comeback Story

Why Kroger Co. (KR) Could Be a Consumer Staples Comeback Story

Tue, September 15, 2026 at 7:03 PM GMT+3 3 min read

• KR +1.21%

Auxier Asset Management, an investment advisory firm, released its second-quarter 2026 investor letter. The letter can be downloaded here. Following a strong rebound from the first-quarter decline, the S&P 500 gained 15.2% as accelerating capital spending toward artificial intelligence infrastructure drove significant gains across technology hardware companies. Semiconductor and data-center-related businesses benefited from supply constraints and strong demand, while enterprise software remained under pressure as investors reassessed AI disruption risks and compressed valuations. In the quarter, Auxier Focus Fund's Investor Class gained 8.82% and 10.70% for the six months ended June 30, 2026. Despite strong earnings growth across the broader market, Auxier highlighted concerns around rising margin debt, increased leverage, and elevated capital flows into high-growth technology areas that could amplify future volatility. The firm continues to focus on identifying enduring businesses with strong competitive advantages, resilient cash flows, and sustainable long-term growth potential. Also, check the fund's top five holdings to see its best picks in 2026.

In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, Auxier Asset Management highlighted The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR). The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) is a leading supermarket chain that operates combination food and drug stores, multi-department stores, marketplace stores, and price impact warehouses. On September 14, 2026, The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) closed at $60.91 per share. Over the past month, The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) returned 10.12%, but its shares are down 7.06% over the past year. The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) has a market capitalization of $37.32 billion, and its stock has traded within a 52-week range of $54.15 to $76.58.

Auxier Asset Management stated the following regarding The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:

"Consumer staples underperformed during the quarter. Elevated inflation, high interest rates and rising gas prices contributed to lower consumer spending, impacting companies like The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) and PepsiCo. Although Kroger's stock has been weak, its new CEO Greg Foran brings exceptional leadership that promises positive change. While he was President of Walmart US from 2014-2019, the company achieved 20 consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth and scaled its online grocery pickup. Since joining Kroger he has aggressively reduced prices and boosted the growth in private label and organic offerings. The stock trades at a mere 12 times earnings which is a significant discount to both Costco and Walmart."

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) is not on our list of the 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. According to our database, 56 hedge fund portfolios held The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) at the end of the second quarter, up from 52 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

In another article, we covered The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) and shared Harbor Fund's insight on the company. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q2 2026 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.

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This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.