Advertisement
KR or STZ or UL
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Kroger (KR) vs. Constellation Brands (STZ) vs. Unilever (UL) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- KR leads with 21.61% YTD gains, driven by strong Q4 revenue of $34.7B and eCommerce momentum, outperforming peers in recent market activity.
- STZ shows YTD return of 9.54% amid leadership transition and focus on core beer brands, with mixed monthly performance but solid EPS beats.
- UL lags at 1.32% YTD, facing share price weakness despite portfolio focus on premium brands and 3.46% dividend yield.
- KR trades at forward P/E of 14.35 with market cap $46.4B, offering value in grocery retail versus STZ's 11.98 and UL's 17.42.
- All three provide defensive consumer staples exposure, but KR exhibits strongest relative momentum in recent weeks.
Introduction
This comparison examines KR (Kroger), a leading U.S. grocery retailer; STZ (Constellation Brands), a premium beverage producer; and UL (Unilever), a global consumer goods giant. These stocks represent defensive consumer staples plays amid volatile market conditions, appealing to value-oriented investors and traders seeking stability, dividends, and relative performance insights. With sector rotation favoring staples, analyzing their recent momentum, valuations, and catalysts helps evaluate positioning in the current environment.
KR Overview and Recent Performance
The Kroger Co. (KR), headquartered in Cincinnati, operates over 2,700 supermarkets under various banners, serving 11 million daily customers with a focus on groceries, pharmacy, and eCommerce. Recent market activity has propelled KR to a 21.61% YTD gain, outpacing the S&P 500. Q4 revenue reached $34.7 billion, up 2.1% year-over-year, with gross margins improving to 23.1% and EPS beating estimates at $1.28 versus $1.20 expected. Strategic shifts include closing underperforming clinics and advancing eCommerce profitability, expected at $400 million in 2026 via partnerships like Uber Eats. Analyst price targets have risen under new CEO Greg Foran, boosting sentiment despite mixed valuations.
STZ Overview and Recent Performance
Constellation Brands (STZ), based in Rochester, NY, leads in imported beer, wine, and spirits, with key brands like Modelo Especial and Corona Extra driving U.S. sales. The stock has delivered a 9.54% YTD return, reflecting resilience amid demand softness. Q3 fiscal 2026 revenue hit $2.22 billion, surpassing estimates, with EPS at $3.06 against $2.63 expected. Recent weeks saw a CEO succession to Nicholas Fink, emphasizing core premium brands and growth in Pacifico and Victoria. Monthly performance dipped 8.67%, pressured by shifting consumer trends, yet forward outlook highlights distribution gains. Market cap stands at $26.1 billion, with beta of 0.42 signaling low volatility.
UL Overview and Recent Performance
Unilever PLC (UL), a London-based multinational, produces personal care, foods, and home products under brands like Dove and Hellmann's. Shares have returned 1.32% YTD, trailing peers amid short-term weakness with a 9.1% monthly decline. Focus remains on margin expansion to 20% and premiumization, supported by 3.5% underlying sales growth in 2025. Recent partnerships, including Google Cloud AI, and investments like Novos underscore digital transformation. Valuation scrutiny persists with trailing P/E at 21.42, but analysts note value post-weakness. Market cap approximates $140 billion, with beta of 0.26 offering stability.
Trending AI Robots
Tickeron’s Trending AI Robots page showcases the platform's top-performing AI trading bots, curated from hundreds available that trade thousands of tickers across diverse strategies. Only the most suitable for prevailing conditions—like trend trading, dip buying, or hedging—earn a spot, with 25 featured out of 351 total bots. Stats highlight prowess: annualized returns from +16% to +209%, win rates 52-95% (e.g., 80% for aerospace bots), profit factors up to 25+, and timeframes from 5min to 60min ML models. Examples include oil/semiconductor agents at +90-130% returns and leveraged ETF bots exceeding 100% with 70%+ wins. These vary by style—short-term signals, swing trades, or volatility plays—suited to stocks, ETFs, and crypto. Traders can explore and copy for edge in dynamic markets; visit Trending AI Robots to review live performance.
Head-to-Head Comparison
KR, STZ, and UL span grocery retail, alcoholic beverages, and broad consumer goods, all defensive amid staples rotation. Growth drivers differ: KR leverages eCommerce and pharmacy; STZ premium beer imports; UL premium beauty/personal care. Recent momentum favors KR (11% monthly), versus STZ's -9% and UL's dips. Risk factors include grocery competition for KR, demand shifts for STZ, and emerging market exposure for UL. Valuations show STZ cheapest forward P/E (12), KR value at 14 amid high trailing, UL steady. Sentiment tilts positive for KR post-earnings; all offer dividends, UL highest at 3.46%.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors KR based on superior trend consistency, YTD outperformance, and eCommerce catalysts positioning it strongly in staples rotation. While STZ offers valuation appeal and UL dividend stability, KR's recent earnings beat and momentum suggest higher probability of near-term upside in defensive positioning.
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 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 whileSTZ’s FA Score has 0 green FA rating(s), and UL’s FA Score reflects 0 green FA rating(s).
- KR’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- STZ’s FA Score: 0 green, 5 red.
- UL’s FA Score: 0 green, 5 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 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while STZ’s TA Score has 6 bullish TA indicator(s), and UL’s TA Score reflects 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- KR’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
- STZ’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 4 bearish.
- UL’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
KR (@Food Retail) experienced а +0.29% price change this week, while STZ (@Food: Meat/Fish/Dairy) price change was -2.33% , and UL (@Household/Personal Care) price fluctuated +0.33% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Food Retail industry was +2.31%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +2.04%, and the average quarterly price growth was +3.08%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Food: Meat/Fish/Dairy industry was -0.04%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +2.93%, and the average quarterly price growth was +5.62%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Household/Personal Care industry was +0.96%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +3.95%, and the average quarterly price growth was -8.44%.
Reported Earning Dates
KR is expected to report earnings on Jun 11, 2026.
STZ is expected to report earnings on Jul 08, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Food Retail (+2.31% 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.
@Food: Meat/Fish/Dairy (-0.04% weekly)The meat, fish, and dairy food industry processes livestock, fish and milk products for consumer consumption. Some companies also process dairy byproducts. Tyson Foods, Inc., Hormel Foods Corporation and Pilgrims Pride Corp. are some of the biggest producers in this industry. Many of these companies are recipients of American farm subsidies. On the other hand, new-age food innovation like plant-based meat substitutes (which are designed to simulate chicken, beef, and pork sausage) could potentially augur disruptions and/or create new competition in this space.
@Household/Personal Care (+0.96% weekly)Household/Personal Care companies sell products for home cleaning and/or personal hygiene and grooming purposes. Products of this industry include detergents, shampoos, soaps, cosmetics, fabric conditioners and infant care fragrances. Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Estee Lauder and Colgate-Palmolive are some of the biggest names in the business. A lot of the products become a necessary part of people’s daily routine, and therefore the industry is relatively less vulnerable to macroeconomic downturns. At the same time, product quality, consumer safety, and ease of use are extremely critical factors for a company to survive competition and earn recognition in this industry.
| KR | STZ | UL | |
| Capitalization | 41.8B | 28.1B | 127B |
| EBITDA | 5.76B | 2.47B | 11.3B |
| Gain YTD | 9.686 | 18.394 | -9.822 |
| P/E Ratio | 44.28 | 16.89 | 19.14 |
| Revenue | 148B | 9.38B | 59.8B |
| Total Cash | 4.58B | 152M | N/A |
| Total Debt | 24.7B | 10.7B | N/A |
KR | STZ | UL | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 54 | 70 | 51 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 55 Fair valued | 47 Fair valued | 39 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 24 | 100 | 81 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 56 | 55 | 97 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 59 | 51 | 79 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 10 | 79 | 83 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 50 | 65 |
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.
UL's Valuation (39) in the Household Or Personal Care industry is in the same range as STZ (47) in the Beverages Alcoholic industry, and is in the same range as KR (55) in the Food Retail industry. This means that UL's stock grew similarly to STZ’s and similarly to KR’s over the last 12 months.
KR's Profit vs Risk Rating (24) in the Food Retail industry is somewhat better than the same rating for UL (81) in the Household Or Personal Care industry, and is significantly better than the same rating for STZ (100) in the Beverages Alcoholic industry. This means that KR's stock grew somewhat faster than UL’s and significantly faster than STZ’s over the last 12 months.
STZ's SMR Rating (55) in the Beverages Alcoholic industry is in the same range as KR (56) in the Food Retail industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for UL (97) in the Household Or Personal Care industry. This means that STZ's stock grew similarly to KR’s and somewhat faster than UL’s over the last 12 months.
STZ's Price Growth Rating (51) in the Beverages Alcoholic industry is in the same range as KR (59) in the Food Retail industry, and is in the same range as UL (79) in the Household Or Personal Care industry. This means that STZ's stock grew similarly to KR’s and similarly to UL’s over the last 12 months.
KR's P/E Growth Rating (10) in the Food Retail industry is significantly better than the same rating for STZ (79) in the Beverages Alcoholic industry, and is significantly better than the same rating for UL (83) in the Household Or Personal Care industry. This means that KR's stock grew significantly faster than STZ’s and significantly faster than UL’s over the last 12 months.
| KR | STZ | UL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 57% | 3 days ago 61% | 3 days ago 34% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 66% | 3 days ago 46% | 3 days ago 58% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 49% | 3 days ago 53% | 3 days ago 37% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 54% | 3 days ago 57% | 3 days ago 38% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 62% | 3 days ago 56% | 3 days ago 40% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 53% | 3 days ago 48% | 3 days ago 46% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 57% | 10 days ago 50% | 11 days ago 42% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 5 days ago 46% | 5 days ago 58% | 6 days ago 42% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 57% | 3 days ago 59% | N/A |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 44% | 3 days ago 44% | 3 days ago 40% |
Advertisement
| 1 Day | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs / NAME | Price $ | Chg $ | Chg % |
| RIET | 9.70 | 0.16 | +1.68% |
| Hoya Capital High Dividend Yield ETF | |||
| LCAP | 31.54 | 0.39 | +1.25% |
| Principal Capital Appreciation Sel ETF | |||
| DFLV | 37.35 | 0.27 | +0.73% |
| Dimensional US Large Cap Value ETF | |||
| DJP | 46.69 | -0.94 | -1.97% |
| iPath® Bloomberg Cmdty TR ETN | |||
| RXD | 9.83 | -0.30 | -2.93% |
| ProShares UltraShort Health Care | |||
KR and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, KR has been loosely correlated with ACI. These tickers have moved in lockstep 55% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if KR jumps, then ACI could also see price increases.