KR vs SFM Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Kroger and Sprouts Farmers Market both operate grocery stores, but Kroger is a massive traditional full-service supermarket operator with integrated fuel and pharmacy operations, while Sprouts is a smaller, faster-growing specialty retailer focused specifically on natural and organic products.
Kroger offers exposure to traditional grocery scale advantages and diversified fuel and pharmacy revenue, while Sprouts offers exposure to faster natural and organic category growth with attractive smaller-format unit economics. Consider whether you prefer Kroger's scale and diversification or Sprouts' focused natural food growth trajectory.
KR holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. KR leads on both 1-year return (-13.52%) and forward P/E quality (10.39x vs 13.21x for SFM), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. SFM leads on both revenue growth (4.70%) and operating margin (7.49%), suggesting a stronger fundamental setup on both dimensions. Analyst consensus implies similar upside for both: +22.06% for KR and +20.62% for SFM.
Human Wall Street analysts' price targets, typically implying a ~12-month view — a separate signal from this site's own AI Prediction Signal further down the page, which is a 5-/30-day machine-learning forecast based on price history alone.
- Want exposure to a massive traditional supermarket operator with significant scale
- Believe private label penetration will continue to support margin contribution
- Value complementary fuel center and pharmacy revenue streams
- Are comfortable with thin overall grocery margins requiring continued efficiency
- Want exposure to natural and organic grocery category growth
- Believe smaller store formats support attractive new store unit economics
- Value a long runway for continued store expansion across underpenetrated markets
- Are comfortable with execution risk from continued rapid store growth
| Metric | KR | SFM |
|---|---|---|
| AI scorei | 41.5 | 45.3 |
| AI ranki | #996 | #760 |
| Latest closei | $58.59 | $81.40 |
| 1M returni | +3.28% | -5.19% |
| 6M returni | -20.14% | +4.64% |
| 1Y returni | -13.52% | -41.37% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | KR | SFM |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $8.62K (-13.8%) started 2025-09-08 | $5.84K (-41.6%) started 2025-09-08 |
| 5Y ago | $14.98K (+49.8%) started 2021-09-09 | $34.95K (+249.5%) started 2021-09-08 |
| 10Y ago | $27.19K (+171.9%) started 2016-09-09 | $41.92K (+319.2%) started 2016-09-08 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | KR | SFM |
|---|---|---|
| Market capi | $35.36B | $7.34B |
| Trailing P/Ei | 33.75 | 15.06 |
| Forward P/Ei | 10.39 | 13.21 |
| Price/Salesi | N/A | N/A |
| EV/Revenuei | 0.45 | 1.05 |
| Analyst targeti | $70.45 | $95.00 |
| Target upsidei | +22.06% | +20.62% |
| Metric | KR | SFM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growthi | 2.20% | 4.70% |
| Earnings growthi | 13.20% | 1.50% |
| EPS growthi | +13.20% | +1.50% |
| FCF margini | +2.01% | +4.43% |
| Operating margini | 3.22% | 7.49% |
| Profit margini | 0.71% | 5.58% |
| ROIC proxyi | 13.78% | 35.20% |
| Return on equityi | 13.78% | 35.20% |
| Dividend yieldi | 2.53% | N/A |
| Betai | 0.41 | 0.68 |
| Debt/equityi | 373.45 | 140.34 |
| Current ratioi | 0.79 | 0.99 |
| Quick ratioi | 0.28 | 0.37 |
Over the past year, KR and SFM have moved weakly in the same direction (correlation of 0.29), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | KR | SFM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | -13.84% | -41.59% |
| CAGRi | -13.86% | -41.64% | |
| Volatilityi | 28.04% | 49.26% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -0.55 | -0.93 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -0.75 | -1.20 | |
| Max drawdowni | 26.55% | 52.96% | |
| Current drawdowni | 22.50% | 41.59% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 10.68% | 39.32% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 13.47% | 40.62% | |
| Max daily dropi | 8.43% | 26.11% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 13.83% | 28.66% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +37.73% | +249.51% |
| CAGRi | +6.61% | +28.44% | |
| Volatilityi | 27.17% | 39.98% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.21 | 0.72 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.31 | 1.02 | |
| Max drawdowni | 31.07% | 63.48% | |
| Current drawdowni | 22.50% | 54.66% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 13.57% | 16.32% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 16.10% | 25.69% | |
| Max daily dropi | 8.43% | 26.11% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 13.83% | 28.66% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +122.97% | +319.16% |
| CAGRi | +8.35% | +15.41% | |
| Volatilityi | 29.12% | 38.07% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.27 | 0.45 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.38 | 0.65 | |
| Max drawdowni | 43.83% | 63.48% | |
| Current drawdowni | 22.50% | 54.66% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 15.34% | 17.83% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 18.57% | 24.15% | |
| Max daily dropi | 18.89% | 26.11% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 27.58% | 28.66% |
| Category | KR | SFM |
|---|---|---|
| Company | The Kroger Co. | Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. |
| Sector | Consumer Defensive | Consumer Defensive |
| Industry | Grocery Stores | Grocery Stores |
| Core business | One of the largest traditional supermarket operators in the United States, offering full-service grocery, pharmacy, and fuel center operations alongside a substantial private label product portfolio. | A specialty grocery retailer focused on natural and organic products, fresh produce, and healthy lifestyle offerings, operating a growing store base across the United States. |
| Investor focus | Identical store sales growth, private label penetration and margin contribution, and digital and delivery channel growth relative to traditional store traffic. | Comparable store sales growth, new store unit economics and expansion pace, and margin trends as the store base scales. |
- Massive scale as one of the largest U.S. supermarket operators supports significant purchasing and distribution advantages
- Substantial private label portfolio provides a meaningful, higher-margin alternative to national brand products
- Integrated fuel center and pharmacy operations provide complementary traffic-driving revenue streams
- Differentiated natural and organic positioning has supported strong comparable store sales growth relative to conventional grocers
- Smaller store format supports attractive unit economics and faster new store payback periods
- Growing store count provides a long runway for continued unit expansion across underpenetrated markets
- Traditional supermarket format faces ongoing competition from discount grocers, natural food specialists, and e-commerce alternatives
- Thin overall grocery margins require continued scale and efficiency to sustain profitability
- Digital and delivery investments require ongoing capital spending to remain competitive with alternative shopping channels
- Premium natural and organic positioning can face pressure if conventional grocers expand their own natural offerings
- Continued rapid store expansion carries execution risk around site selection and market saturation
- Faces competition from both specialty natural grocers and conventional supermarkets expanding into natural categories
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