Kroger's 63.92% Volume Surge Propels It to 197th Rank Yet Shares Underperform Broader Rally

On August 12, 2025, The Kroger Co. (KR) reported a trading volume of $560 million, marking a 63.92% increase from the previous day. This placed the stock at the 197th position in terms of trading activity across the market. Despite a broader equity market rally, KR shares closed 1.08% lower at $73.55, underperforming key benchmarks like the S&P 500 (+1.14%) and the Nasdaq (+1.39%).

Analysts highlighted mixed signals in the retail sector. While KR has gained 2.88% over the past month, outperforming the Retail-Wholesale sector’s 1.54% rise, earnings expectations remain cautiously optimistic. Upcoming quarterly results are projected to show a 6.45% year-over-year earnings per share (EPS) growth to $0.99, with revenue expected to reach $34.07 billion, reflecting a 0.47% increase. Full-year forecasts suggest $4.76 EPS and $148.7 billion in revenue, representing 6.49% and 1.07% growth respectively.

Valuation metrics indicate KR is trading at a premium relative to its peers. The stock’s forward P/E ratio of 15.62 exceeds the industry average of 15.48, while its PEG ratio of 2.37 lags behind the sector’s 3.01. Analysts note these metrics suggest limited growth compensation for valuation levels. The Zacks Rank system, which incorporates earnings estimate revisions, currently assigns KR a “Hold” rating (#3), with no recent changes to consensus estimates.

The backtest of a volume-based trading strategy showed mixed results. Purchasing the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume and holding for one day yielded a $2,253.82 profit from December 2021 to August 2025, with a maximum drawdown of -$1,155.84. The strategy’s Sharpe ratio of 1.44 indicates favorable risk-adjusted returns during the period.