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KR or PEP or WMT
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Kroger (KR) vs. PepsiCo (PEP) vs. Walmart (WMT) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- KR leads year-to-date with approximately 20% gains, driven by analyst price target increases and a new CEO's strategic focus.
- PEP shows stability with YTD returns around 11%, bolstered by a $1.95 billion acquisition of Poppi and perceived undervaluation by analysts.
- WMT delivers strong long-term performance at 48% over one year, supported by store expansions and projected revenue growth to $789.9 billion by 2028.
- KR trades at a P/E of about 16x, offering relative value compared to peers, while facing clinic closures amid profitability challenges.
- All three exhibit defensive qualities in consumer staples, with low betas (KR 0.59, PEP 0.38, WMT 0.66) signaling lower volatility.
- Recent momentum favors KR, but WMT's scale provides superior growth drivers in recent market activity.
Introduction
This comparison examines KR (Kroger), PEP (PepsiCo), and WMT (Walmart), three stalwarts in consumer staples and retail. These stocks appeal to investors seeking defensive positioning amid market volatility, offering exposure to essential goods with steady demand. Traders may value their relative performance and sentiment shifts, while long-term holders appreciate dividend reliability and growth potential. Recent weeks highlight contrasts in momentum, acquisitions, and strategic pivots, aiding decisions on stock comparison and market positioning.
KR Overview and Recent Performance
The Kroger Co. (KR), a leading U.S. supermarket chain, operates over 2,700 stores emphasizing groceries and fresh foods. In recent market activity, KR stock surged about 3.8% to all-time highs near $75, fueled by analysts raising price targets to $83 amid solid Q4 profits and improving trends under new CEO Greg Foran. Year-to-date gains exceed 20%, outperforming peers, with the stock above 50- and 200-day moving averages. Sentiment benefits from focus on in-store execution, cheaper fresh offerings, and delivery enhancements, though closures of 50 Little Clinics reflect profitability pressures in non-core segments. Gross margins rose to 22.7%, but net margins at 1.82% and a debt-to-equity of 2.56 underscore leverage risks.
PEP Overview and Recent Performance
PepsiCo Inc. (PEP), a global leader in beverages and snacks, boasts brands like Pepsi, Gatorade, and Frito-Lay. Recent weeks saw PEP shares dip 2.5% weekly to around $159, yet analysts view it as 40% undervalued with price targets up to $181. Year-to-date returns hover near 11%, reflecting resilience despite volume softness. A $1.95 billion acquisition of health-focused Poppi bolsters its portfolio amid innovation in low-sugar options. Q4 results showed revenue growth, with 2026 guidance for 2-4% organic sales and 4-6% EPS increases. Operating margins at 12.2% face expense pressures, but a low beta of 0.38 supports defensive appeal in fluctuating markets.
WMT Overview and Recent Performance
Walmart Inc. (WMT), the world's largest retailer, operates extensive stores, e-commerce, and Sam's Club. In recent market activity, WMT traded around $125, with YTD gains of 12% and 48% over one year, though down 6% monthly. Momentum stems from store expansions, brand partnerships, and governance improvements, projecting $789.9 billion revenue and $27.4 billion earnings by 2028. The stock holds above key averages long-term, with a beta of 0.66 indicating moderate stability. Growth drivers include omnichannel strength, but recent pullbacks reflect broader retail pressures. P/E near 46x reflects premium valuation tied to scale advantages.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
KR, PEP, and WMT anchor consumer staples, but differ in business models: KR focuses on groceries, PEP on branded beverages/snacks, and WMT on broad retail scale. Growth drivers include KR's fresh food execution, PEP's acquisitions, and WMT's e-commerce expansions. Recent momentum favors KR (20% YTD), over WMT (12%) and PEP (11%), though WMT excels longer-term. Risk factors: KR's debt (2.56 D/E), PEP's volume dips, WMT's premium valuation. All share sector resilience, but KR offers valuation sensitivity at lower P/E versus peers.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently leans toward KR based on superior recent trend consistency, YTD outperformance, and analyst-backed catalysts like leadership transitions. Its lower beta and relative value enhance stability and positioning versus PEP's growth outlook and WMT's scale. Probabilistic edge favors KR for near-term relative strength, though monitoring sector rotations remains key.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer. Disclaimers and Limitations
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
KR’s FA Score shows that 2 FA rating(s) are green whilePEP’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s), and WMT’s FA Score reflects 3 green FA rating(s).
- KR’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- PEP’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- WMT’s FA Score: 3 green, 2 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
KR’s TA Score shows that 5 TA indicator(s) are bullish while PEP’s TA Score has 5 bullish TA indicator(s), and WMT’s TA Score reflects 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- KR’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 4 bearish.
- PEP’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 5 bearish.
- WMT’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
KR (@Food Retail) experienced а -2.76% price change this week, while PEP (@Beverages: Non-Alcoholic) price change was +0.31% , and WMT (@Discount Stores) price fluctuated +2.66% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Food Retail industry was +0.96%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -1.32%, and the average quarterly price growth was +3.18%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Beverages: Non-Alcoholic industry was +2.02%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -3.13%, and the average quarterly price growth was +164976.25%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Discount Stores industry was +0.71%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -1.87%, and the average quarterly price growth was +11.43%.
Reported Earning Dates
KR is expected to report earnings on Jun 11, 2026.
PEP is expected to report earnings on Apr 16, 2026.
WMT is expected to report earnings on May 14, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Food Retail (+0.96% weekly)The food retail industry includes companies that sell food, beverage and household products. Items sold include grocery, gourmet food, fresh produce, and frozen food. Kroger Co., George Weston Ltd., Grocery Outlet Holding Corp., and Sprouts Farmers Markets, Inc. are examples of major food retailers. While e-commerce companies like Amazon have increasingly been ramping-up offerings in the food retail space, several traditional players have also been expanding their online presence to stand their ground against rising competition.
@Beverages: Non-Alcoholic (+2.02% weekly)Non-alcoholic drinks include traces of alcohol or low alcohol content or without alcohol or alcohol removed. Functional Beverages, Carbonated Soft Drinks (CSDs), Sports Drinks, Fruit Beverages, and Bottled Water are some common types of non-alcoholic beverages. The largest segment in this market is soft drinks (think Pepsi and Coke). Many established companies in this space have also been stepping up production of low to zero-calorie varieties in recent years, to cater to a rising number of health-conscious consumers. Coca-Cola Company, Pepsico Inc, Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. and Monster Beverage Corporation are some major non-alcoholic beverage makers.
@Discount Stores (+0.71% weekly)Companies in the discount stores industry specialize in offering substantial discounts on a vast array of retail products. Some companies in this industry also operate general merchandise warehouse clubs. Products sold at discount stores are typically similar to those of any department store, but the pricing of the goods is generally much lower (and hence the name “discount”). Think Dollar General Corporation, Dollar Tree, Inc. and Five Below, Inc. Many discount stores target low-income households and/or price-sensitive consumers as their potential market. Discount stores’ profitability could hinge on factors like competitive pricing, sufficient locations, healthy revenue per square foot, and effective advertisement. These store operators could have an edge over other retailers during financial crises or recessions, when many consumers could be looking for less expensive alternatives.
| KR | PEP | WMT | |
| Capitalization | 43.1B | 215B | 1.03T |
| EBITDA | 5.43B | 15.5B | 46.5B |
| Gain YTD | 13.161 | 10.714 | 16.143 |
| P/E Ratio | 45.68 | 26.25 | 47.30 |
| Revenue | 147B | 93.9B | 713B |
| Total Cash | 879M | 9.53B | N/A |
| Total Debt | 25.2B | 49.9B | 68.4B |
KR | PEP | WMT | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 55 | 57 | 22 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 57 Fair valued | 26 Undervalued | 92 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 21 | 55 | 6 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 77 | 22 | 99 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 50 | 52 | 20 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 8 | 35 | 33 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
PEP's Valuation (26) in the Beverages Non Alcoholic industry is in the same range as KR (57) in the Food Retail industry, and is significantly better than the same rating for WMT (92) in the Specialty Stores industry. This means that PEP's stock grew similarly to KR’s and significantly faster than WMT’s over the last 12 months.
WMT's Profit vs Risk Rating (6) in the Specialty Stores industry is in the same range as KR (21) in the Food Retail industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for PEP (55) in the Beverages Non Alcoholic industry. This means that WMT's stock grew similarly to KR’s and somewhat faster than PEP’s over the last 12 months.
PEP's SMR Rating (22) in the Beverages Non Alcoholic industry is somewhat better than the same rating for KR (77) in the Food Retail industry, and is significantly better than the same rating for WMT (99) in the Specialty Stores industry. This means that PEP's stock grew somewhat faster than KR’s and significantly faster than WMT’s over the last 12 months.
WMT's Price Growth Rating (20) in the Specialty Stores industry is in the same range as KR (50) in the Food Retail industry, and is in the same range as PEP (52) in the Beverages Non Alcoholic industry. This means that WMT's stock grew similarly to KR’s and similarly to PEP’s over the last 12 months.
KR's P/E Growth Rating (8) in the Food Retail industry is in the same range as WMT (33) in the Specialty Stores industry, and is in the same range as PEP (35) in the Beverages Non Alcoholic industry. This means that KR's stock grew similarly to WMT’s and similarly to PEP’s over the last 12 months.
| KR | PEP | WMT | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 63% | 1 day ago 62% | N/A |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 58% | 1 day ago 42% | 1 day ago 28% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 47% | 1 day ago 45% | 1 day ago 67% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 41% | 1 day ago 46% | 1 day ago 73% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 47% | 1 day ago 41% | 1 day ago 55% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 53% | 1 day ago 44% | 1 day ago 53% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 5 days ago 57% | 1 day ago 39% | 1 day ago 55% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 46% | 4 days ago 43% | 22 days ago 33% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 69% | 1 day ago 52% | 1 day ago 33% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 56% | 1 day ago 39% | 1 day ago 30% |
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