=Kroger (KR) reported earnings on Thur 8 March 2018 (b/o)

Kroger reports EPS in-line, revs in-line; guides FY19 EPS in-line 

• Reports Q4 (Jan) earnings of $0.63 per share, excluding non-recurring items, in-linewith the Capital IQ Consensus of $0.63; revenues rose 12.4% year/year to $31.03 bln vs the $30.81 bln Capital IQ Consensus.
• Identical supermarket sales, without fuel (comps) +1.5%. Gross margin was 21.9% of sales for the fourth quarter. Excluding fuel, the 53rd week and the LIFO credit and charge, gross margin decreased 31 basis points from the same period last year.
• Co issues in-line guidance for FY19, sees EPS of $1.95-2.15 vs. $2.10 Capital IQ Consensus Estimate; sees comps +1.5-2.0%.