Options Bulls Target Kroger Stock Before Earnings

Kroger Co (NYSE:KR) is set to report first-quarter earnings before the open on Thursday, June 18. According to Zacks Research, analysts expect profits of $1.59 per share on revenue of $45.4 billion, representing year-over-year growth of 6% and 0.6%, respectively.

Options traders are bracing for a larger-than-usual post-earnings reaction. The options pits are pricing in a next-day swing of 7.6%, compared to the stock's historical earnings move of 4.2% over the last eight quarters. KR has closed six of its last eight post-earnings sessions higher, including a 9.8% pop following its June 2025 report.

Short interest remains elevated ahead of the event. The 31.38 million shares sold short account for 5.36% of KR's available float, and it would take short sellers roughly five days to buy back their bearish bets at the stock's average pace of trading.

Options speculators have been much more optimistic than usual over the last 10 weeks, however. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), KR's 50-day call/put volume ratio of 9.11 ranks higher than all other readings from the past year.

Kroger stock was last seen down 0.2% at $64.54 today. As seen above, the shares are running into pressure at the 30-day moving average. Since the start of the year, the grocery giant is up just 3.3%.