BetterThanSPY

Relative Intelligence · Grocery Stores

How Kroger (KR) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on KR alone. It places KR (The Kroger Co.) against 20+ popular alternatives, its neighboring categories and the entire market of over 10,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, and surfaces what has done better on consistent outperformance, return for the risk taken, behavior in real market crashes and diversification. The result is a clearer view of where KR stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: KR's full trading record, from October 1986 through September 2026. All returns include reinvested dividends. Data as of October 22, 2026.

Data as of October 22, 2026. Full tables and charts read best on a larger screen.

Rank the market against KR →Chart KR vs. 20 alternatives →

This page answers the following questions about KR

Key findings

Not AI-generated

These key findings are generated by our proprietary relative intelligence engine, directly from the data on this page.

How much would $10,000 in KR have grown?

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in KR over the past 29 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of KR over the same span and KR's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period. A second view covers the past 5 years, the period the better options further down the page are judged on. It shows not only where each investment ended up but also how smooth or uneven the path was.

Choose a period

From the end of September 1997 to the end of September 2026. The scale is logarithmic, so equal steps up the chart are equal percentage gains. Hover over a fund in the key to pick out its line. 483 of the 1,042 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of KR; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$5,000$10,000$20,000$50,000$100,000$200,000$500,000199720022007201220172022$10,000$100,00019972004201120182025
  • COST$727,732+7,177% total · +15.9% a year
  • CASY$625,987+6,160% total · +15.3% a year
  • VLGEA$469,686+4,597% total · +14.2% a year
  • WMT$272,033+2,620% total · +12.1% a year
  • TGT$184,797+1,748% total · +10.6% a year
  • SYY$172,022+1,620% total · +10.3% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$132,907+1,229% total · +9.3% a year
  • PSMT$118,754+1,088% total · +8.9% a year
  • KR$112,086+1,021% total · +8.7% a year
  • UNFI$43,444+334% total · +5.2% a year
Change the dates or add tickers to this chart in EasyCompare

From the end of September 2021 to the end of September 2026. Hover over a fund in the key to pick out its line. 1,354 of the 3,630 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of KR; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$0$20,000$40,000$60,000$80,000202120222023202420252026$0$20,000$40,000$60,000$80,000202120222023202420252026
  • CASY$33,203+232% total · +27.1% a year
  • NGVC$32,301+223% total · +26.4% a year
  • SFM$28,637+186% total · +23.4% a year
  • VLGEA$25,136+151% total · +20.2% a year
  • WMT$23,813+138% total · +18.9% a year
  • PSMT$23,465+135% total · +18.6% a year
  • COST$21,378+114% total · +16.4% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$19,000+90.0% total · +13.7% a year
  • KR$16,158+61.6% total · +10.1% a year
  • TGT$8,005−20.0% total · −4.4% a year
Change the dates or add tickers to this chart in EasyCompare

KR at a glance

This section summarizes the key facts about the stock, its returns over periods from one to ten years and the risk it has carried, with dividends reinvested throughout. These figures serve as the baseline for every comparison that follows.

The company

Market value
$40B
Industry
Grocery Stores
Price history from
October 1986

Returns

Past 1 year
+1.2%total return
Past 3 years
+67.5%+18.7% a year
Past 5 years
+88.0%+13.5% a year
Past 10 years
+168%+10.4% a year
Best calendar year
+64.8%2014
Worst calendar year
−37.7%1999
Losing years
7 of 29full calendar years

Risk

Volatility
27.4%typical yearly swing, 5 years
Sharpe ratio
0.60return per unit of risk, 5 years
Worst decline ever
−66.8%Mar 1999 to Oct 2002
From its all-time high
−9.1%below the peak

KR against the whole market

Where KR ranks among every stock and fund, and what across the market has done better.

How does KR rank among all stocks?

This section ranks KR on return, volatility, risk-adjusted return and worst decline against every stock worth at least $300 million with enough history. Where the comparisons with its popular alternatives show how KR stacks up against its peers, these rankings show where it stands in the market as a whole.

Ranked against U.S.-listed stocks worth at least $300M that have enough history for each measure, so the count changes from row to row; smaller stocks are left out. Lower volatility and smaller declines rank higher.

MeasureKRRankStanding
1-year return+1.2%1,982 of 3,282bottom 41%
3-year return+67.5%1,331 of 3,016top 44%
5-year return+88.0%777 of 2,897top 27%
10-year return+168%989 of 2,201top 45%
Volatility, 5 years27.4%506 of 2,897top 17%
Sharpe ratio, 5 years0.60695 of 2,897top 24%
Worst decline, past 10 years−43.8%253 of 2,184top 12%

What has beaten KR on both return and risk?

Each dot is an investment, placed by how much it earned a year over the past 5 years (higher is better) and how much its price swung, its volatility (further left is calmer). KR sits where the dashed lines cross. Anything in the green box above and to the left earned more than KR with smaller swings, a better trade-off over this period on both counts. Past results are no promise, but a name in the box is worth a closer look.

Annual return is the annualized total return with dividends reinvested, and volatility the annualized swing in daily prices, both over 5 years. Labeled dots are the strongest picks from the table below and the names called out above, colored by how close they sit to KR; faint dots are 91 more of the 127 in the green region (the strongest, one per fund family). 3,641 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million were screened. Hover over a dot for its figures.

5.0%10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%5.0%10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than KRPGR: +21.8% a year, volatility 25.7%COR: +23.6% a year, volatility 22.8%MNST: +17.4% a year, volatility 24.9%MSI: +15.2% a year, volatility 23.6%FAST: +16.2% a year, volatility 24.6%DFIV: +14.8% a year, volatility 16.4%SPMO: +18.1% a year, volatility 20.9%PKG: +16.6% a year, volatility 25.9%RY: +17.5% a year, volatility 18.2%IOO: +15.6% a year, volatility 17.2%WELL: +27.0% a year, volatility 23.8%ACT: +20.7% a year, volatility 24.4%FLTW: +21.3% a year, volatility 24.4%RSPT: +16.6% a year, volatility 25.1%MPLX: +24.0% a year, volatility 18.8%TDIV: +16.5% a year, volatility 21.3%GARP: +16.6% a year, volatility 22.5%SPUS: +14.8% a year, volatility 19.5%DIVB: +14.6% a year, volatility 15.5%CHCO: +15.1% a year, volatility 22.8%FFLC: +15.5% a year, volatility 16.8%IUS: +14.7% a year, volatility 14.9%JPM: +17.3% a year, volatility 24.3%DBJP: +20.9% a year, volatility 19.3%ABBV: +25.5% a year, volatility 23.4%HSBC: +32.8% a year, volatility 25.9%EWJV: +15.1% a year, volatility 18.2%DXJ: +26.6% a year, volatility 19.1%CVX: +19.7% a year, volatility 25.2%PM: +21.3% a year, volatility 23.4%SHEL: +21.4% a year, volatility 24.8%MRK: +16.1% a year, volatility 24.8%RTX: +18.7% a year, volatility 24.4%TD: +16.5% a year, volatility 20.0%TTE: +18.8% a year, volatility 25.8%BTI: +19.4% a year, volatility 22.0%MO: +18.3% a year, volatility 21.4%CB: +15.8% a year, volatility 20.4%CM: +19.5% a year, volatility 21.6%BNY: +22.8% a year, volatility 24.4%TRV: +22.4% a year, volatility 22.3%E: +23.7% a year, volatility 25.6%MFC: +23.3% a year, volatility 24.0%GWW: +26.7% a year, volatility 24.9%KMI: +20.1% a year, volatility 22.3%CTAS: +17.1% a year, volatility 23.1%AFL: +19.5% a year, volatility 20.8%CCEP: +20.4% a year, volatility 23.3%XLE: +22.7% a year, volatility 25.5%CBOE: +22.0% a year, volatility 25.1%IX: +18.3% a year, volatility 25.4%ACGL: +20.1% a year, volatility 24.5%SDCI: +21.1% a year, volatility 18.4%HIG: +15.8% a year, volatility 22.0%GLD: +17.1% a year, volatility 19.0%TPYP: +17.2% a year, volatility 17.3%KOF: +22.4% a year, volatility 24.7%WRB: +18.6% a year, volatility 22.9%PAA: +28.4% a year, volatility 25.6%L: +15.0% a year, volatility 19.2%PVAL: +15.9% a year, volatility 15.1%OHI: +17.6% a year, volatility 24.3%FDL: +14.6% a year, volatility 14.5%VLUE: +16.2% a year, volatility 18.4%MSGS: +17.5% a year, volatility 25.7%THG: +15.2% a year, volatility 22.9%AXS: +17.9% a year, volatility 25.3%ATO: +15.9% a year, volatility 18.5%EMLP: +15.2% a year, volatility 14.5%NI: +15.5% a year, volatility 20.3%FHI: +16.0% a year, volatility 24.6%EUFN: +18.1% a year, volatility 21.8%DTM: +25.0% a year, volatility 25.2%EWP: +19.2% a year, volatility 20.3%CRAK: +19.5% a year, volatility 20.9%ATMP: +21.7% a year, volatility 21.5%IGE: +18.1% a year, volatility 22.0%TJX: +19.8% a year, volatility 22.3%WMB: +25.2% a year, volatility 24.1%EPD: +16.3% a year, volatility 17.1%ORLY: +15.8% a year, volatility 23.4%ETR: +19.8% a year, volatility 22.4%AMLP: +16.4% a year, volatility 18.9%PNW: +14.6% a year, volatility 19.9%PAVE: +14.6% a year, volatility 21.7%AM: +20.4% a year, volatility 25.9%ORI: +17.3% a year, volatility 22.2%PPA: +16.2% a year, volatility 18.9%CTRE: +17.0% a year, volatility 24.6%AIRR: +17.5% a year, volatility 25.9%WTM: +15.4% a year, volatility 23.6%KR: +13.5% a year, volatility 27.4%SPY (S&P 500): +12.5% a year, volatility 17.2%COST: +17.4% a year, volatility 22.9%WMT: +21.1% a year, volatility 22.6%PSMT: +19.7% a year, volatility 28.1%CASY: +30.8% a year, volatility 29.4%VLGEA: +19.4% a year, volatility 28.4%MUSA: +25.3% a year, volatility 31.2%USFD: +23.3% a year, volatility 29.8%EBAY: +10.6% a year, volatility 32.8%CHEF: +27.9% a year, volatility 39.7%KO: +15.2% a year, volatility 16.8%LVHI: +16.9% a year, volatility 11.1%NVS: +17.4% a year, volatility 20.7%MCK: +37.8% a year, volatility 25.1%AMGN: +20.1% a year, volatility 24.9%GILD: +22.8% a year, volatility 24.9%AAPL: +19.1% a year, volatility 28.0%VOO: +12.6% a year, volatility 16.9%CAH: +41.7% a year, volatility 24.7%KRSPY (S&P 500)COSTWMTPSMTCASYVLGEAMUSAUSFDEBAYCHEFKOLVHINVSMCKGILDVOOCAH0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than KRPGR: +21.8% a year, volatility 25.7%COR: +23.6% a year, volatility 22.8%MNST: +17.4% a year, volatility 24.9%MSI: +15.2% a year, volatility 23.6%FAST: +16.2% a year, volatility 24.6%DFIV: +14.8% a year, volatility 16.4%SPMO: +18.1% a year, volatility 20.9%PKG: +16.6% a year, volatility 25.9%RY: +17.5% a year, volatility 18.2%IOO: +15.6% a year, volatility 17.2%WELL: +27.0% a year, volatility 23.8%ACT: +20.7% a year, volatility 24.4%FLTW: +21.3% a year, volatility 24.4%RSPT: +16.6% a year, volatility 25.1%MPLX: +24.0% a year, volatility 18.8%TDIV: +16.5% a year, volatility 21.3%GARP: +16.6% a year, volatility 22.5%SPUS: +14.8% a year, volatility 19.5%DIVB: +14.6% a year, volatility 15.5%CHCO: +15.1% a year, volatility 22.8%FFLC: +15.5% a year, volatility 16.8%IUS: +14.7% a year, volatility 14.9%JPM: +17.3% a year, volatility 24.3%DBJP: +20.9% a year, volatility 19.3%ABBV: +25.5% a year, volatility 23.4%HSBC: +32.8% a year, volatility 25.9%EWJV: +15.1% a year, volatility 18.2%DXJ: +26.6% a year, volatility 19.1%CVX: +19.7% a year, volatility 25.2%PM: +21.3% a year, volatility 23.4%SHEL: +21.4% a year, volatility 24.8%MRK: +16.1% a year, volatility 24.8%RTX: +18.7% a year, volatility 24.4%TD: +16.5% a year, volatility 20.0%TTE: +18.8% a year, volatility 25.8%BTI: +19.4% a year, volatility 22.0%MO: +18.3% a year, volatility 21.4%CB: +15.8% a year, volatility 20.4%CM: +19.5% a year, volatility 21.6%BNY: +22.8% a year, volatility 24.4%TRV: +22.4% a year, volatility 22.3%E: +23.7% a year, volatility 25.6%MFC: +23.3% a year, volatility 24.0%GWW: +26.7% a year, volatility 24.9%KMI: +20.1% a year, volatility 22.3%CTAS: +17.1% a year, volatility 23.1%AFL: +19.5% a year, volatility 20.8%CCEP: +20.4% a year, volatility 23.3%XLE: +22.7% a year, volatility 25.5%CBOE: +22.0% a year, volatility 25.1%IX: +18.3% a year, volatility 25.4%ACGL: +20.1% a year, volatility 24.5%SDCI: +21.1% a year, volatility 18.4%HIG: +15.8% a year, volatility 22.0%GLD: +17.1% a year, volatility 19.0%TPYP: +17.2% a year, volatility 17.3%KOF: +22.4% a year, volatility 24.7%WRB: +18.6% a year, volatility 22.9%PAA: +28.4% a year, volatility 25.6%L: +15.0% a year, volatility 19.2%PVAL: +15.9% a year, volatility 15.1%OHI: +17.6% a year, volatility 24.3%FDL: +14.6% a year, volatility 14.5%VLUE: +16.2% a year, volatility 18.4%MSGS: +17.5% a year, volatility 25.7%THG: +15.2% a year, volatility 22.9%AXS: +17.9% a year, volatility 25.3%ATO: +15.9% a year, volatility 18.5%EMLP: +15.2% a year, volatility 14.5%NI: +15.5% a year, volatility 20.3%FHI: +16.0% a year, volatility 24.6%EUFN: +18.1% a year, volatility 21.8%DTM: +25.0% a year, volatility 25.2%EWP: +19.2% a year, volatility 20.3%CRAK: +19.5% a year, volatility 20.9%ATMP: +21.7% a year, volatility 21.5%IGE: +18.1% a year, volatility 22.0%TJX: +19.8% a year, volatility 22.3%WMB: +25.2% a year, volatility 24.1%EPD: +16.3% a year, volatility 17.1%ORLY: +15.8% a year, volatility 23.4%ETR: +19.8% a year, volatility 22.4%AMLP: +16.4% a year, volatility 18.9%PNW: +14.6% a year, volatility 19.9%PAVE: +14.6% a year, volatility 21.7%AM: +20.4% a year, volatility 25.9%ORI: +17.3% a year, volatility 22.2%PPA: +16.2% a year, volatility 18.9%CTRE: +17.0% a year, volatility 24.6%AIRR: +17.5% a year, volatility 25.9%WTM: +15.4% a year, volatility 23.6%KR: +13.5% a year, volatility 27.4%SPY (S&P 500): +12.5% a year, volatility 17.2%COST: +17.4% a year, volatility 22.9%WMT: +21.1% a year, volatility 22.6%PSMT: +19.7% a year, volatility 28.1%CASY: +30.8% a year, volatility 29.4%VLGEA: +19.4% a year, volatility 28.4%MUSA: +25.3% a year, volatility 31.2%USFD: +23.3% a year, volatility 29.8%EBAY: +10.6% a year, volatility 32.8%CHEF: +27.9% a year, volatility 39.7%KO: +15.2% a year, volatility 16.8%LVHI: +16.9% a year, volatility 11.1%NVS: +17.4% a year, volatility 20.7%MCK: +37.8% a year, volatility 25.1%AMGN: +20.1% a year, volatility 24.9%GILD: +22.8% a year, volatility 24.9%AAPL: +19.1% a year, volatility 28.0%VOO: +12.6% a year, volatility 16.9%CAH: +41.7% a year, volatility 24.7%KRSPY (S&P 500)COSTWMTPSMTCASYMUSAEBAYCHEFKOLVHIMCKAMGNGILDVOOCAH
  • Popular alternatives
  • Same and neighboring categories, and shared themes
  • The whole market
  • Others in the green region

Is there a better investment than KR?

Investments that beat KR over the past 5 years on return, volatility, drawdowns, consistency, crash losses or fees, from its popular alternatives out to the whole market.

How this works

The table below lists investments that beat KR over the past 5 years on at least one of these measures: a higher annual return with lower volatility, a higher annual return at similar volatility, a similar return with lower volatility, a higher Sharpe ratio with a smaller worst decline, a higher total return in most periods from 3 months to 10 years, or smaller losses in recent market crashes. It checks KR's popular alternatives first, then the rest of its own and neighboring categories, then every stock and fund worth at least $500 million, and shows the strongest few in each group. The full list of those with a higher return and lower volatility than KR follows the table.

Annual return is the annualized total return with dividends reinvested. Annual return, volatility and the Sharpe ratio cover 5 years; the worst decline covers the past 10 years. Green marks a better figure than KR's. "On the frontier" means no other option shown or tested earned more with less volatility. Funds that hold the same thing are shown once. Beyond the popular alternatives, nothing with more than 1.5× KR's volatility counts as better.

These figures cover the past 5 years. Green marks a better figure than KR's.

Screen the whole market against KR for any period in BetterThanSPYOpen these 18 in EasyCompare
InvestmentWhy it is betterPast 5 yearsDownsideLong runFit
Annual return?higher is betterVolatility?lower is calmerSharpe?return per unit of riskWorst decline?past 10 years10Y returntotalCorr. with KR?lower diversifies moreExpenseper year
KRThe Kroger Co. · this page
+13.5%27.4%0.60−43.8%+168%1.00—
SPYState Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF · S&P 500
+12.5%17.2%0.78−33.7%+316%0.250.09%
Popular alternativesbest 5 shownThe investments people most often weigh against KR. 5 of 20 passed at least one test.
COSTCostco Wholesale Corporation · Discount Retail
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+17.4%22.9%0.82−31.4%+692%0.34—
WMTWalmart Inc. · Discount Retail
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+21.1%22.6%0.97−25.7%+521%0.38—
PSMTPriceSmart, Inc. · Discount Retail
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher return in most periods+19.7%28.1%0.78−53.2%+121%0.31—
CASYCasey's General Stores, Inc. · Convenience Stores
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+30.8%29.4%1.06−36.1%+560%0.37—
VLGEAVillage Super Market, Inc. · Grocery Stores
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher return in most periods+19.4%28.4%0.77−46.8%+111%0.48—
Same and neighboring categories, and shared themesbest 4 shownEverything else in Grocery Stores and the categories next to it (Discount Retail, Food Distribution, Convenience Stores, E-Commerce), plus KR's specific themes. 4 of 26 passed at least one test.
MUSAMurphy USA Inc. · Convenience Stores
Higher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+25.3%31.2%0.88−35.5%+688%0.22—
USFDUS Foods Holding Corp. · Food Distribution
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher return in most periods+23.3%29.8%0.85−77.3%+353%0.19—
EBAYeBay Inc. · E-Commerce
Higher return in most periods+10.6%32.8%0.47−53.6%+374%0.24—
CHEFThe Chefs' Warehouse, Inc. · Food Distribution
Higher return in most periods+27.9%39.7%0.82−91.3%+752%0.11—
The whole marketbest 8 shownEvery other stock and fund worth at least $500 million. 630 of 3,600 passed at least one test.
KOThe Coca-Cola Company · Nonalcoholic Beverages
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+15.2%16.8%0.93−37.0%+205%0.29—
LVHIFranklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF · International Dividend Equity
On the frontierHigher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+16.9%11.1%1.48−32.4%+194%0.330.40%
NVSNovartis AG · Pharmaceuticals
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+17.4%20.7%0.89−26.8%+234%0.23—
MCKMcKesson Corporation · Health Care Distribution
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+37.8%25.1%1.41−38.1%+582%0.41—
AMGNAmgen Inc. · Biotechnology
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+20.1%24.9%0.86−24.9%+280%0.22—
GILDGilead Sciences, Inc. · Biotechnology
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+22.8%24.9%0.95−30.5%+202%0.26—
AAPLApple Inc. · Computer Hardware
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+19.1%28.0%0.77−38.5%+1,194%0.18—
VOOVanguard S&P 500 ETF · US Large-Cap Equity
Similar return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+12.6%16.9%0.79−34.0%+319%0.240.03%
What these numbers mean for KR
Annual return
KR returned 13.5% a year over the past 5 years with dividends reinvested, against 12.5% a year for the S&P 500. At that pace, $10,000 became about $18,800. Annual return is the steady yearly rate that would produce the same total result, so investments held over the same span compare fairly. Guide: What is performance and return? →
Volatility
KR's volatility over the past 5 years was 27.4%, 1.6 times the S&P 500's 17.2%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, KR's return lands within 27.4% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump. Guide: Understanding and measuring risk (volatility) →
Sharpe ratio
KR's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.60, against 0.78 for the S&P 500, so KR earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings. Guide: Balancing reward with risk (Sharpe ratio) →
Worst decline
KR's worst fall from a peak to a low over the past 10 years was 43.8%, against 33.7% for the S&P 500. Losses and gains are not symmetric: climbing back from a 43.8% fall takes a 78.0% gain. Guide: Market crash risk and tail risk →
Correlation
Over the past 5 years, KR's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.25 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They are only loosely linked, which makes it a real diversifier next to an index fund. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against KR instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a KR holding. Guide: Correlation and diversification →
Show all 127 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that earned more than KR with less volatility

Out of 3,641 tested over 5 years. The strongest 100 are listed, best first, with funds that hold the same thing listed once.

#InvestmentFound inAnnual returnVolatilitySharpeWorst decline10Y returnCorr. with KRExpense
1
KOThe Coca-Cola Company · Nonalcoholic Beverages
Whole market+15.2%16.8%0.93−37.0%+205%0.29—
2
LVHIFranklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF · International Dividend Equity
Whole market+16.9%11.1%1.48−32.4%+194%0.330.40%
3
NVSNovartis AG · Pharmaceuticals
Whole market+17.4%20.7%0.89−26.8%+234%0.23—
4
MCKMcKesson Corporation · Health Care Distribution
Whole market+37.8%25.1%1.41−38.1%+582%0.41—
5
AMGNAmgen Inc. · Biotechnology
Whole market+20.1%24.9%0.86−24.9%+280%0.22—
6
GILDGilead Sciences, Inc. · Biotechnology
Whole market+22.8%24.9%0.95−30.5%+202%0.26—
7
PGRThe Progressive Corporation · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+21.8%25.7%0.90−30.3%+849%0.26—
8
CORCencora, Inc. · Health Care Distribution
Whole market+23.6%22.8%1.05−32.4%+403%0.40—
9
MNSTMonster Beverage Corporation · Nonalcoholic Beverages
Whole market+17.4%24.9%0.77−30.4%+278%0.05—
10
MSIMotorola Solutions, Inc. · Communications Equipment
Whole market+15.2%23.6%0.72−32.8%+639%0.37—
11
FASTFastenal Company · Industrial Distribution
Whole market+16.2%24.6%0.74−30.7%+582%0.50—
12
DFIVDimensional - International Value ETF · International Large-Cap Value
Whole market+14.8%16.4%0.93−25.4%—0.300.27%
13
SPMOInvesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF · US Momentum Equity
Whole market+18.1%20.9%0.91−30.9%+485%0.060.13%
14
PKGPackaging Corporation of America · Packaging
Whole market+16.6%25.9%0.72−38.2%+302%0.28—
15
RYRoyal Bank of Canada · Banks
Whole market+17.5%18.2%0.98−40.0%+361%0.01—
16
IOOiShares Global 100 ETF · Global Equity
Whole market+15.6%17.2%0.94−31.4%+357%0.210.40%
17
WELLWelltower Inc. · Healthcare REITs
Whole market+27.0%23.8%1.13−63.3%+378%0.31—
18
COSTCostco Wholesale Corporation · Discount Retail
Popular alternative+17.4%22.9%0.82−31.4%+692%0.34—
19
ACTEnact Holdings Inc. · Insurance
Whole market+20.7%24.4%0.90−20.2%—0.29—
20
CAHCardinal Health, Inc. · Health Care Distribution
Whole market+41.7%24.7%1.54−46.1%+345%0.17—
21
FLTWFranklin FTSE Taiwan ETF · International Equity
Whole market+21.3%24.4%0.92−38.0%—-0.030.19%
22
RSPTInvesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Technology ETF · Technology Equity
Whole market+16.6%25.1%0.74−33.7%+559%0.070.40%
23
MPLXMPLX Lp · Oil & Gas Midstream
Whole market+24.0%18.8%1.25−75.2%+337%0.35—
24
TDIVFirst Trust NASDAQ Technology Dividend Index Fund · Technology Equity
Whole market+16.5%21.3%0.83−32.0%+384%0.160.50%
25
GARPiShares MSCI USA Quality GARP ETF · US Large-Cap Growth
Whole market+16.6%22.5%0.80−31.4%—0.090.15%
26
SPUSSP Funds S&P 500 Sharia Industry Exclusions ETF · US Large-Cap Equity
Whole market+14.8%19.5%0.81−30.8%—0.170.45%
27
DIVBiShares Core Dividend ETF · High Dividend Yield
Whole market+14.6%15.5%0.96−36.9%—0.300.05%
28
CHCOCity Holding Company · Regional Banks
Whole market+15.1%22.8%0.73−32.3%+272%0.17—
29
FFLCFidelity Fundamental Large Cap Core ETF · Active Core Equity
Whole market+15.5%16.8%0.94−19.7%—0.220.38%
30
IUSInvesco RAFI Strategic US ETF · US Total Market
Whole market+14.7%14.9%1.00−34.7%—0.350.19%
31
JPMJPMorgan Chase & Co. · Banks
Whole market+17.3%24.3%0.78−43.6%+534%0.13—
32
DBJPXtrackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity ETF · Japan Equity
Whole market+20.9%19.3%1.09−31.3%+339%0.090.45%
33
ABBVAbbVie Inc. · Specialty Pharmaceuticals
Whole market+25.5%23.4%1.09−45.1%+600%0.22—
34
HSBCHSBC Holdings plc · Banks
Whole market+32.8%25.9%1.23−62.3%+314%-0.01—
35
EWJViShares MSCI Japan Value ETF · Japan Equity
Whole market+15.1%18.2%0.87−30.1%—0.250.15%
36
DXJWisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund · Japan Equity
Whole market+26.6%19.1%1.34−39.1%+415%0.140.48%
37
CVXChevron Corporation · Integrated Oil & Gas
Whole market+19.7%25.2%0.84−55.8%+243%0.41—
38
PMPhilip Morris International Inc. · Tobacco
Whole market+21.3%23.4%0.94−42.9%+240%0.16—
39
SHELShell plc · Integrated Oil & Gas
Whole market+21.4%24.8%0.91−67.2%+236%0.23—
40
MRKMerck & Co., Inc. · Pharmaceuticals
Whole market+16.1%24.8%0.73−43.4%+245%0.08—
41
RTXRTX Corporation · Aerospace & Defense
Whole market+18.7%24.4%0.83−52.0%+319%0.15—
42
TDThe Toronto-Dominion Bank · Banks
Whole market+16.5%20.0%0.87−42.0%+319%0.08—
43
TTETotalEnergies SE · Integrated Oil & Gas
Whole market+18.8%25.8%0.80−59.6%+237%0.20—
44
BTIBritish American Tobacco p.l.c. · Tobacco
Whole market+19.4%22.0%0.92−56.1%+110%0.22—
45
MOAltria Group, Inc. · Tobacco
Whole market+18.3%21.4%0.90−53.7%+133%0.32—
46
CBChubb Limited · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+15.8%20.4%0.82−42.6%+256%0.24—
47
CMCanadian Imperial Bank of Commerce · Banks
Whole market+19.5%21.6%0.94−47.3%+409%0.14—
48
BNYBank of New York Mellon Corp · Banks
Whole market+22.8%24.4%0.97−50.5%+332%-0.02—
49
TRVThe Travelers Companies, Inc. · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+22.4%22.3%1.02−46.3%+360%0.30—
50
EEni S.p.A. · Integrated Oil & Gas
Whole market+23.7%25.6%0.96−61.4%+283%0.30—
51
MFCManulife Financial Corporation · Life Insurance
Whole market+23.3%24.0%1.00−57.5%+386%0.15—
52
GWWW.W. Grainger, Inc. · Industrial Distribution
Whole market+26.7%24.9%1.08−41.6%+670%0.24—
53
KMIKinder Morgan, Inc. · Oil & Gas Midstream
Whole market+20.1%22.3%0.94−55.1%+159%0.43—
54
CTASCintas Corporation · Business Services
Whole market+17.1%23.1%0.80−48.4%+834%0.38—
55
AFLAflac Incorporated · Life Insurance
Whole market+19.5%20.8%0.97−54.9%+344%0.28—
56
CCEPCoca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC · Food & Beverages
Whole market+20.4%23.3%0.92−48.8%+294%0.12—
57
XLEState Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF · Energy Equity
Whole market+22.7%25.5%0.94−66.8%+190%0.410.08%
58
CBOECboe Global Markets, Inc. · Capital Markets
Whole market+22.0%25.1%0.92−43.2%+481%0.16—
59
IXORIX Corporation · Diversified Financials
Whole market+18.3%25.4%0.79−42.5%+286%0.15—
60
ACGLArch Capital Group Ltd. · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+20.1%24.5%0.87−53.8%+316%0.14—
61
SDCIUSCF SummerHaven Dynamic Commodity Strategy No K-1 Fund · Broad Commodities
Whole market+21.1%18.4%1.14−45.7%—0.400.80%
62
HIGThe Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+15.8%22.0%0.78−57.6%+302%0.31—
63
GLDSPDR Gold Shares · Gold
Whole market+17.1%19.0%0.93−26.4%+206%0.320.40%
64
TPYPTortoise North American Pipeline ETF · Energy Infrastructure
Whole market+17.2%17.3%1.01−51.9%+188%0.490.40%
65
KOFCoca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V. · Food & Beverages
Whole market+22.4%24.7%0.95−55.1%+119%0.25—
66
WRBW. R. Berkley Corporation · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+18.6%22.9%0.86−45.3%+466%0.34—
67
PAAPlains All American Pipeline, L.P. · Oil & Gas Midstream
Whole market+28.4%25.6%1.11−87.9%+66.5%0.23—
68
LLoews Corporation · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+15.0%19.2%0.83−48.5%+190%0.32—
69
PVALPutnam Focused Large Cap Value ETF · US Large-Cap Value
Whole market+15.9%15.1%1.06−41.3%—0.370.56%
70
OHIOmega Healthcare Investors, Inc. · Healthcare REITs
Whole market+17.6%24.3%0.79−66.9%+208%0.23—
71
FDLFirst Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund · High Dividend Yield
Whole market+14.6%14.5%1.02−41.4%+207%0.460.43%
72
VLUEiShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF · US Large-Cap Value
Whole market+16.2%18.4%0.91−39.5%+286%0.150.15%
73
MSGSMadison Square Garden Sports Corp. · Entertainment
Whole market+17.5%25.7%0.76−41.6%+395%0.19—
74
THGThe Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+15.2%22.9%0.73−40.1%+309%0.22—
75
AXSAXIS Capital Holdings Limited · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+17.9%25.3%0.78−49.3%+149%0.23—
76
ATOAtmos Energy Corporation · Gas Utilities
Whole market+15.9%18.5%0.90−32.9%+207%0.54—
77
EMLPFirst Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund · Energy Infrastructure
Whole market+15.2%14.5%1.06−43.6%+155%0.520.95%
78
NINiSource Inc · Gas Utilities
Whole market+15.5%20.3%0.81−30.9%+166%0.51—
79
FHIFederated Hermes, Inc. · Asset Management
Whole market+16.0%24.6%0.73−64.9%+226%0.33—
80
EUFNiShares MSCI Europe Financials ETF · Financial Sector Equity
Whole market+18.1%21.8%0.88−53.2%+224%0.100.49%
81
DTMDT Midstream, Inc. · Oil & Gas Midstream
Whole market+25.0%25.2%1.02−23.6%—0.30—
82
WMTWalmart Inc. · Discount Retail
Popular alternative+21.1%22.6%0.97−25.7%+521%0.38—
83
EWPiShares MSCI Spain ETF · International Equity
Whole market+19.2%20.3%0.97−46.4%+190%0.180.50%
84
CRAKVanEck Oil Refiners ETF · Oil Refining
Whole market+19.5%20.9%0.96−58.8%+325%0.370.61%
85
ATMPBarclays ETN+ Select MLP ETN · Energy Infrastructure
Whole market+21.7%21.5%1.02−70.3%+174%0.380.95%
86
IGEiShares North American Natural Resources ETF · Natural Resources Equity
Whole market+18.1%22.0%0.87−60.6%+158%0.480.37%
87
TJXThe TJX Companies, Inc. · Apparel Retail
Whole market+19.8%22.3%0.93−42.5%+357%0.23—
88
WMBThe Williams Companies, Inc. · Oil & Gas Midstream
Whole market+25.2%24.1%1.06−68.1%+291%0.34—
89
EPDEnterprise Products Partners L.P. · Oil & Gas Midstream
Whole market+16.3%17.1%0.98−58.1%+178%0.34—
90
ORLYO'Reilly Automotive, Inc. · Specialty Retail
Whole market+15.8%23.4%0.75−42.0%+394%0.33—
91
ETREntergy Corporation · Electric Utilities
Whole market+19.8%22.4%0.92−42.0%+326%0.42—
92
AMLPAlerian MLP ETF · Energy Equity
Whole market+16.4%18.9%0.90−72.9%+90.8%0.301.01%
93
PNWPinnacle West Capital Corporation · Electric Utilities
Whole market+14.6%19.9%0.79−39.3%+110%0.55—
94
PAVEGlobal X - U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF · Infrastructure Equity
Whole market+14.6%21.7%0.74−44.1%—0.310.47%
95
AMAntero Midstream Corporation · Oil & Gas Midstream
Whole market+20.4%25.9%0.85−92.9%—0.35—
96
ORIOld Republic International Corporation · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+17.3%22.2%0.83−47.8%+353%0.25—
97
PPAInvesco Aerospace & Defense ETF · Aerospace & Defense
Whole market+16.2%18.9%0.89−43.9%+341%0.260.58%
98
CTRECareTrust REIT, Inc. · Healthcare REITs
Whole market+17.0%24.6%0.76−67.4%+316%0.27—
99
AIRRFirst Trust RBA American Industrial RenaissanceTM ETF · US Industrials
Whole market+17.5%25.9%0.76−42.4%+392%0.180.69%
100
WTMWhite Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. · Insurance
Whole market+15.4%23.6%0.73−40.2%+174%0.16—

KR against its popular alternatives

The investments people most often weigh against KR, compared period by period and year by year.

How do KR's risk and return compare with its alternatives?

This map plots each investment's annual return over the past 5 years against its volatility, the size of its typical price swings. Investments toward the upper left earned more for a smoother ride, and those toward the lower right earned less for a rougher one. The dashed lines cross at KR, which divides the map into what did better or worse on each measure.

Green points earned more than KR with less volatility; red points earned less with more. Hover over a point for its figures. Total returns with dividends reinvested, annualized.

15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%50.0%55.0%−10.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilityKR: 13.5% a year, volatility 27.4%SPY (S&P 500): 12.5% a year, volatility 17.2%COST: 17.4% a year, volatility 22.9%WMT: 21.1% a year, volatility 22.6%TGT: −6.3% a year, volatility 36.1%UNFI: 1.4% a year, volatility 52.0%BJ: 11.7% a year, volatility 32.5%GO: −9.8% a year, volatility 49.5%WMK: 9.7% a year, volatility 28.7%DG: −7.2% a year, volatility 37.1%DLTR: 4.9% a year, volatility 40.2%ACI: −7.3% a year, volatility 30.3%CASY: 30.8% a year, volatility 29.4%PSMT: 19.7% a year, volatility 28.1%VLGEA: 19.4% a year, volatility 28.4%NGVC: 25.6% a year, volatility 48.6%SFM: 25.2% a year, volatility 40.3%SYY: 4.0% a year, volatility 23.7%MDLZ: 4.3% a year, volatility 20.3%IMKTA: 6.6% a year, volatility 26.0%KHC: −2.3% a year, volatility 23.5%GIS: −7.2% a year, volatility 22.9%KRSPY (S&P 500)COSTWMTTGTUNFIBJGOWMKDLTRACICASYPSMTVLGEANGVCSFMSYYMDLZIMKTAKHCGIS10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%−10.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilityKR: 13.5% a year, volatility 27.4%SPY (S&P 500): 12.5% a year, volatility 17.2%COST: 17.4% a year, volatility 22.9%WMT: 21.1% a year, volatility 22.6%TGT: −6.3% a year, volatility 36.1%UNFI: 1.4% a year, volatility 52.0%BJ: 11.7% a year, volatility 32.5%GO: −9.8% a year, volatility 49.5%WMK: 9.7% a year, volatility 28.7%DG: −7.2% a year, volatility 37.1%DLTR: 4.9% a year, volatility 40.2%ACI: −7.3% a year, volatility 30.3%CASY: 30.8% a year, volatility 29.4%PSMT: 19.7% a year, volatility 28.1%VLGEA: 19.4% a year, volatility 28.4%NGVC: 25.6% a year, volatility 48.6%SFM: 25.2% a year, volatility 40.3%SYY: 4.0% a year, volatility 23.7%MDLZ: 4.3% a year, volatility 20.3%IMKTA: 6.6% a year, volatility 26.0%KHC: −2.3% a year, volatility 23.5%GIS: −7.2% a year, volatility 22.9%KRSPY (S&P 500)COSTWMTTGTUNFIBJGOWMKDGDLTRACICASYPSMTNGVCSFMSYYMDLZIMKTAKHCGIS
All figures
InvestmentAnnual returnVolatility
CASY Casey's General Stores, Inc.+30.8%29.4%
NGVC Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.+25.6%48.6%
SFM Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.+25.2%40.3%
WMT Walmart Inc.+21.1%22.6%
PSMT PriceSmart, Inc.+19.7%28.1%
VLGEA Village Super Market, Inc.+19.4%28.4%
COST Costco Wholesale Corporation+17.4%22.9%
KR This pageThe Kroger Co.+13.5%27.4%
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF+12.5%17.2%
BJ BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc.+11.7%32.5%
WMK Weis Markets, Inc.+9.7%28.7%
IMKTA Ingles Markets, Incorporated+6.6%26.0%
DLTR Dollar Tree, Inc.+4.9%40.2%
MDLZ Mondelez International, Inc.+4.3%20.3%
SYY Sysco Corporation+4.0%23.7%
UNFI United Natural Foods, Inc.+1.4%52.0%
KHC The Kraft Heinz Company−2.3%23.5%
TGT Target Corporation−6.3%36.1%
GIS General Mills, Inc.−7.2%22.9%
DG Dollar General Corporation−7.2%37.1%
ACI Albertsons Companies, Inc.−7.3%30.3%
GO Grocery Outlet Holding Corp.−9.8%49.5%
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Has KR consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

This section compares KR with the investments people most often weigh against it, checking each one over eight periods from one month to ten years. Counting how often an alternative earned more than KR helps separate lasting outperformance from a single strong stretch.

A green cell means the alternative earned more than KR over that period. "Qualified" marks those that did so in at least 3 of 5 short-term periods and 2 of 3 long-term periods.

InvestmentPeriods outperformed Short termLong termRisk · 5 yearsFund
1M3M6MYTD1Y3Y5Y10YVolatilitylower is calmerSharpehigher is betterWorst declinepast 10 yearsExpenseAssetsOverlapsame sectors
KR The Kroger Co. (this page)—+15.9%+18.8%+0.9%+9.7%+1.2%+67.5%+88.0%+168%27.4%0.60−43.8%—$40B—
COST QualifiedCostco Wholesale Corporation3/5 short3/3 long+13.2%+10.0%+1.8%+19.7%+8.4%+91.8%+123%+692%22.9%0.82−31.4%—$451B—
CASY QualifiedCasey's General Stores, Inc.3/5 short3/3 long+22.0%−16.6%−8.7%+28.6%+31.4%+173%+282%+560%29.4%1.06−36.1%—$26B—
PSMT QualifiedPriceSmart, Inc.3/5 short2/3 long−0.7%−7.5%+7.5%+40.3%+41.4%+152%+145%+121%28.1%0.78−53.2%—$5.3B—
VLGEA QualifiedVillage Super Market, Inc.3/5 short2/3 long+1.5%+5.5%+8.2%+33.8%+41.3%+104%+143%+111%28.4%0.77−46.8%—$675M—
NGVC Grocery StoresNatural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.2/5 short3/3 long+7.6%+4.1%+18.8%+33.2%−18.4%+189%+212%+276%48.6%0.71−73.8%—$746M—
WMT Discount StoresWalmart Inc.1/5 short3/3 long+10.0%+11.0%−6.4%+8.1%+14.0%+133%+161%+521%22.6%0.97−25.7%—$964B—
SFM Grocery StoresSprouts Farmers Market, Inc.0/5 short2/3 long+0.3%−6.9%−8.2%−14.6%−36.3%+61.8%+207%+224%40.3%0.77−65.2%—$6.4B—
TGT Discount StoresTarget Corporation3/5 short1/3 long−0.6%+15.5%+23.1%+61.7%+75.0%+64.3%−27.8%+213%36.1%0.00−64.4%—$72B—
UNFI Food DistributionUnited Natural Foods, Inc.2/5 short1/3 long+3.1%−5.6%−0.5%+41.5%+17.1%+226%+7.2%+14.2%52.0%0.29−89.7%—$2.9B—
BJ Discount StoresBJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc.4/5 short0/3 long+17.2%+16.1%+11.8%+16.0%+13.5%+55.3%+73.9%—32.5%0.51−38.8%—$13B—
GO Grocery StoresGrocery Outlet Holding Corp.4/5 short0/3 long+21.0%+48.3%+72.2%+36.7%−9.6%−49.1%−40.4%—49.5%0.04−87.6%—$1.4B—
SYY Food DistributionSysco Corporation3/5 short0/3 long+7.5%+3.0%+12.7%+18.1%+9.9%+40.3%+22.0%+128%23.7%0.29−63.4%—$41B—
MDLZ Food ConfectionersMondelez International, Inc.3/5 short0/3 long+7.7%+8.1%+18.3%+24.7%+8.9%+11.4%+23.3%+94.6%20.3%0.31−29.8%—$83B—
WMK Grocery StoresWeis Markets, Inc.3/5 short0/3 long+10.4%+3.5%+13.6%+27.0%+19.3%+31.7%+58.8%+76.1%28.7%0.47−48.6%—$2.0B—
IMKTA Grocery StoresIngles Markets, Incorporated2/5 short0/3 long+6.1%−0.8%−1.6%+28.4%+22.2%+16.7%+37.9%+145%26.0%0.38−59.1%—$1.7B—
DG Discount StoresDollar General Corporation2/5 short0/3 long+14.0%+16.3%+14.1%+3.6%+36.9%+27.1%−31.1%+134%37.1%-0.01−72.6%—$31B—
DLTR Discount StoresDollar Tree, Inc.2/5 short0/3 long+13.9%+7.3%+28.5%+2.6%+30.4%+20.3%+27.0%+72.5%40.2%0.32−64.8%—$25B—
KHC Packaged FoodsThe Kraft Heinz Company2/5 short0/3 long+4.5%−1.8%+18.6%+8.2%+4.6%−4.6%−11.2%−54.9%23.5%0.02−76.1%—$30B—
GIS Packaged FoodsGeneral Mills, Inc.1/5 short0/3 long+1.1%−2.9%+3.6%−17.7%−23.5%−35.5%−31.0%−14.8%22.9%-0.21−59.6%—$19B—
ACI Grocery StoresAlbertsons Companies, Inc.0/5 short0/3 long+14.9%−3.5%−16.0%−17.1%−26.1%−30.7%−31.6%—30.3%-0.10−54.7%—$6.7B—
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How did KR do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 1997, along with where KR ranked among its popular alternatives each year. Annual results reveal how consistently each one kept pace with KR and how far its good and bad years diverged, detail that multiyear averages tend to smooth over.

Newest year first. Green marks a year in which the fund came out ahead of KR; gray means the two finished within a fraction of a point. The rank row places KR among the alternatives that traded the full year; dark green is the top quarter and red the bottom quarter.

InvestmentYears ahead of KR20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199919981997
KR This pageThe Kroger Co.—+4.2%+36.9%+5.0%+0.4%+45.4%+11.9%+7.9%+2.1%−19.0%−16.4%+31.8%+64.8%+54.5%+9.6%+10.5%+10.7%−20.9%0.0%+17.0%+23.4%+7.6%−5.3%+20.0%−26.1%−22.8%+43.4%−37.6%+64.7%+58.1%
Rank among alternativesTop quarter in 5 of 299 of 217 of 2110 of 2112 of 217 of 2115 of 2011 of 199 of 1814 of 1816 of 182 of 171 of 173 of 1610 of 159 of 1512 of 1514 of 145 of 145 of 147 of 146 of 1414 of 149 of 1411 of 1412 of 134 of 1312 of 132 of 135 of 12
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF14 of 29+17.7%+24.9%+26.2%−18.2%+28.7%+18.3%+31.2%−4.6%+21.7%+12.0%+1.2%+13.5%+32.3%+16.0%+1.9%+15.1%+26.4%−36.8%+5.1%+15.9%+4.8%+10.7%+28.2%−21.6%−11.7%−9.8%+20.4%+28.7%+33.5%
COST Costco Wholesale Corporation18 of 29−5.4%+39.6%+49.0%−19.1%+51.8%+32.7%+45.7%+10.6%+22.4%+0.3%+18.9%+20.5%+21.9%+28.4%+16.7%+23.7%+14.3%−24.0%+33.2%+7.9%+3.2%+31.1%+32.5%−36.8%+11.1%−12.5%+26.4%+61.8%+77.7%
CASY Casey's General Stores, Inc.20 of 29+40.1%+45.0%+23.3%+14.5%+11.2%+13.2%+25.1%+15.6%−5.2%−0.5%+34.5%+30.0%+33.7%+4.3%+22.7%+34.7%+41.8%−22.3%+26.9%−4.3%+37.8%+3.7%+45.7%−17.4%+0.3%+44.2%−19.5%+3.1%+36.0%
PSMT PriceSmart, Inc.16 of 28+34.8%+25.0%+26.2%−15.8%−19.1%+29.6%+21.6%−30.8%+3.5%+1.5%−8.3%−20.4%+50.6%+12.0%+85.5%+90.2%+1.8%−29.9%+69.4%+114%+10.5%+20.9%−72.7%−34.6%+6.5%−16.1%+124%+2.2%—
VLGEA Village Super Market, Inc.17 of 29+14.9%+26.1%+17.7%+4.1%+9.5%−1.0%−8.9%+21.2%−23.0%+20.5%−0.3%−7.1%−2.8%+23.4%−12.8%+29.1%−1.9%+21.8%+21.4%+44.1%+64.5%+21.6%+28.0%−2.9%+83.8%+2.8%−7.7%+33.3%+18.4%
NGVC Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.5 of 13−36.1%+152%+92.0%−34.0%+6.3%+62.4%−35.1%+71.5%−24.9%−41.6%−27.7%−33.7%+122%————————————————
WMT Walmart Inc.17 of 29+24.5%+74.0%+12.9%−0.5%+1.9%+23.4%+30.1%−3.4%+46.6%+16.1%−26.6%+11.8%+18.2%+17.1%+13.8%+3.1%−2.5%+20.0%+4.9%+0.2%−10.2%+0.6%+5.6%−11.8%+8.9%−22.7%+70.5%+107%+74.6%
SFM Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.5 of 12−37.3%+164%+48.6%+9.1%+47.7%+3.9%−17.7%−3.5%+28.7%−28.8%−21.8%−11.6%—————————————————
TGT Target Corporation13 of 29−24.5%−2.3%−1.4%−34.2%+32.9%+40.5%+100%+4.7%−5.8%+2.7%−1.6%+23.8%+9.5%+18.2%−13.0%+26.3%+42.4%−30.0%−11.6%+4.7%+6.6%+36.1%+29.0%−26.5%+28.0%−11.5%+36.2%+62.2%+74.2%
UNFI United Natural Foods, Inc.15 of 29+23.3%+68.3%−58.1%−21.1%+207%+82.3%−17.3%−78.5%+3.3%+21.2%−49.1%+2.6%+40.7%+33.9%+9.1%+37.2%+50.0%−43.8%−11.7%+36.1%−15.1%+73.3%+41.6%+1.4%+41.9%+46.8%−50.2%−7.2%+52.9%
BJ BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc.2 of 7+0.8%+34.0%+0.8%−1.2%+79.6%+63.9%+2.6%——————————————————————
GO Grocery Outlet Holding Corp.2 of 6−35.3%−42.1%−7.6%+3.2%−28.0%+21.0%———————————————————————
SYY Sysco Corporation12 of 29−1.0%+7.4%−1.7%−0.3%+8.3%−10.4%+39.6%+5.5%+12.5%+38.8%+5.8%+13.4%+18.9%+11.9%+3.5%+8.0%+26.7%−23.5%−13.2%+21.0%−17.3%+3.7%+26.8%+15.6%−11.7%+53.5%+45.6%+22.1%+41.8%
MDLZ Mondelez International, Inc.12 of 24−7.0%−15.3%+11.2%+2.9%+15.9%+8.6%+40.4%−4.3%−1.6%+0.6%+25.4%+4.6%+41.7%+121%+24.7%+22.8%+8.8%−13.0%−4.1%+32.6%−17.3%+14.4%−14.4%+16.9%—————
WMK Weis Markets, Inc.11 of 29−3.6%+8.0%−20.8%+27.1%+41.0%+21.3%−12.7%+18.6%−36.6%+54.8%−4.8%−6.5%+37.8%+0.8%+4.6%+14.6%+11.8%−12.8%+2.3%−4.1%+14.8%+13.1%+21.0%+14.8%−24.6%−9.4%+15.1%+14.2%+13.1%
IMKTA Ingles Markets, Incorporated15 of 29+7.4%−24.7%−9.8%+12.6%+105%−8.7%+78.3%−19.7%−26.7%+11.0%+20.5%+40.5%+60.2%+25.1%−18.5%+33.9%−10.4%−28.7%−13.0%+97.2%+30.9%+27.6%−3.8%+2.5%+25.9%−3.4%+7.3%−19.3%+17.9%
DG Dollar General Corporation9 of 16+79.6%−43.1%−44.1%+5.6%+13.0%+35.9%+45.7%+17.6%+26.9%+4.3%+2.9%+17.2%+36.8%+7.1%+34.2%+36.7%—————————————
DLTR Dollar Tree, Inc.15 of 29+64.1%−47.2%+0.4%+0.7%+30.1%+14.9%+4.1%−15.8%+39.0%−0.1%+9.7%+24.7%+39.1%−2.4%+48.2%+74.2%+15.8%+60.9%−13.9%+25.7%−16.8%−4.3%+22.3%−20.5%+26.1%−24.1%+10.8%+58.4%+62.2%
KHC The Kraft Heinz Company4 of 10−16.3%−12.9%−5.1%+18.2%+8.0%+13.8%−21.2%−42.2%−8.4%+23.5%———————————————————
GIS General Mills, Inc.12 of 29−23.7%+1.4%−20.0%+28.1%+18.5%+13.6%+43.1%−31.6%−0.7%+10.3%+11.5%+10.3%+27.3%+3.3%+17.2%+3.5%+20.2%+9.5%+1.6%+20.0%+1.2%+12.6%−1.2%−7.5%+19.7%+28.4%−5.4%+11.8%+16.3%
ACI Albertsons Companies, Inc.2 of 5−10.0%−12.5%+13.4%−6.8%+75.2%————————————————————————
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Risk and diversification

How KR has fallen, how it held up in crashes beside the S&P 500 and its popular alternatives, and what moves independently of it.

What were KR's worst declines?

A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high. This section presents KR's five deepest drawdowns since it began trading in 1986, alongside the S&P 500's return over the same dates, and how long each took to recover. Together, these figures show how much an investor could have lost and how long it took to get back to even.

Green means KR fell less than the S&P 500 over the same dates. Based on daily closing prices with dividends reinvested.

DuringKR fellS&P 500, same datesPeakLowTime to the lowBack at the peakTime to recover
Dot-com bust−66.8%−38.2%Mar 1999Oct 20023.6 yearsMar 201310.4 years
No named crash−53.6%—Mar 1991Aug 199217 monthsFeb 199418 months
2015 China and oil sell-off−52.0%+24.3%Dec 2015Sep 201721 monthsMay 20213.7 years
No named crash−44.5%—Sep 1989Oct 199013 monthsFeb 19914 months
No named crash−40.7%—Jul 1987Dec 19875 monthsSep 19889 months

How did KR do in stock market crashes?

This section measures how far KR, the S&P 500 and each alternative fell from peak to trough during every major market crash since 2000. A smaller decline means an investment held up better, and comparing results across crashes shows whether that resilience was consistent or a one-off.

Newest crash first. Each figure is the fund's deepest fall within the crash window; green means a smaller fall than KR.

InvestmentHeld up better2023 regional bank crisisMar 20232022 bear marketJan 2022Covid crashFeb 2020Late-2018 sell-offSep 2018February 2018 volatility shockFeb 20182015 China and oil sell-offAug 20152011 euro debt crisisJul 20112010 flash crashMay 20102008 financial crisisOct 2007Dot-com bustMar 2000
KR This pageThe Kroger Co.—−1.3%−29.6%−13.0%−14.9%−6.0%−14.3%−13.7%−2.2%−35.3%−58.3%
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF4 of 10−3.4%−24.5%−33.7%−19.3%−6.5%−12.8%−17.9%−1.5%−55.2%−47.5%
COST Costco Wholesale Corporation2 of 10−3.1%−31.4%−13.7%−20.8%−6.5%−15.2%−13.5%−1.2%−48.0%−50.1%
CASY Casey's General Stores, Inc.6 of 10−3.4%−15.7%−32.1%−11.2%−4.5%−12.8%−14.4%−1.2%−40.6%−34.7%
PSMT PriceSmart, Inc.1 of 10−2.6%−34.1%−29.7%−34.1%−4.4%−27.9%−22.1%−2.6%−66.5%−60.0%
VLGEA Village Super Market, Inc.5 of 10−2.3%−21.5%−25.0%−15.3%−1.7%−18.8%−22.5%−0.5%−28.3%−39.5%
NGVC Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.1 of 6−6.2%−56.1%−28.7%−31.4%−3.1%−32.6%————
WMT Walmart Inc.6 of 10−0.8%−25.7%−13.1%−18.3%−4.9%−22.3%−10.5%−1.5%−26.2%−31.8%
SFM Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.1 of 6−2.2%−33.9%−26.0%−20.7%−3.9%−19.0%————
TGT Target Corporation4 of 10−3.4%−43.9%−21.7%−30.3%−3.0%−15.8%−10.4%−1.3%−60.6%−42.6%
UNFI United Natural Foods, Inc.2 of 10−14.4%−30.1%−29.5%−69.5%−5.3%−41.6%−19.4%−2.9%−59.3%−41.6%
BJ BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc.1 of 4−3.3%−25.4%−20.3%−32.0%——————
GO Grocery Outlet Holding Corp.1 of 3−1.8%−28.7%−13.1%———————
SYY Sysco Corporation4 of 10−2.3%−20.8%−59.5%−17.8%−6.8%−6.4%−17.9%−1.5%−43.1%−27.2%
MDLZ Mondelez International, Inc.5 of 9−0.5%−18.3%−29.3%−12.3%−7.4%−22.3%−7.4%0.0%−38.2%—
WMK Weis Markets, Inc.6 of 10−1.9%−16.6%−15.2%−8.3%−2.4%−17.8%−10.2%−0.3%−44.7%−34.9%
IMKTA Ingles Markets, Incorporated3 of 10−4.0%−21.2%−12.0%−24.3%−6.5%−39.2%−16.4%−3.1%−59.4%−21.6%
DG Dollar General Corporation4 of 8−0.7%−27.6%−18.4%−15.9%−4.4%−25.2%−8.4%−2.6%——
DLTR Dollar Tree, Inc.3 of 10−1.5%−26.5%−30.2%−7.2%−6.7%−24.1%−11.3%−1.9%−49.1%−67.1%
KHC The Kraft Heinz Company3 of 6−0.4%−24.1%−25.6%−25.2%−7.5%−12.2%————
GIS General Mills, Inc.7 of 10−0.8%−10.9%−20.8%−19.7%−3.5%−8.2%−7.6%−1.7%−28.2%−26.1%
ACI Albertsons Companies, Inc.0 of 2−2.4%−31.9%————————
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How closely does KR move with the S&P 500?

Upside capture measures how much of the S&P 500's gains an investment kept in the months the market rose, and downside capture how much of its losses it took in the months the market fell. An investment that captures more of the gains than the losses has compounded ahead of the market over time. This section compares KR with its popular alternatives on both measures, and on beta (how strongly each has moved with the market), over the past 10 years.

Monthly total returns over the past 10 years, measured against SPY. 100% capture or a beta of 1.00 means moving in line with the S&P 500. Green marks a better figure than KR's: more upside, less downside or a higher capture ratio. Sorted by capture ratio.

InvestmentUpside captureDownside captureCapture ratioBeta
KR This pageThe Kroger Co.49%36%1.340.40
WMT Walmart Inc.74%36%2.080.53
SFM Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.54%27%1.970.47
CASY Casey's General Stores, Inc.80%43%1.870.73
COST Costco Wholesale Corporation93%50%1.850.77
NGVC Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.76%58%1.311.24
IMKTA Ingles Markets, Incorporated50%39%1.290.57
VLGEA Village Super Market, Inc.41%32%1.280.28
DG Dollar General Corporation46%46%1.000.37
TGT Target Corporation83%87%0.951.00
PSMT PriceSmart, Inc.68%79%0.860.80
MDLZ Mondelez International, Inc.45%55%0.820.52
SYY Sysco Corporation76%100%0.761.02
DLTR Dollar Tree, Inc.52%79%0.660.75
UNFI United Natural Foods, Inc.65%120%0.541.02
GIS General Mills, Inc.22%65%0.340.27
KHC The Kraft Heinz Company19%100%0.190.58
WMK Weis Markets, Inc.16%-6%—0.28
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What diversifies KR?

Correlation measures how closely two investments move together, on a scale from 1 (in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to -1 (in opposite directions). This section lists large ETFs and stocks whose returns have had a low correlation with KR's. Because such investments tend not to fall at the same time, pairing KR with them can reduce a portfolio's overall swings.

Only ETFs with at least $1.0B in assets and stocks worth at least $10B, with a correlation below 0.5 over the past 5 years and a positive return, are included, ranked by Sharpe ratio; funds that hold the same thing are shown once. The year columns are the years in which KR lost money. The last two columns show a portfolio that is 80% KR and 20% the other investment, rebalanced monthly.

ETFs

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe201720162009200420022001199980/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
KR The Kroger Co. (this page)1.00+88.0%0.60−19.0%−16.4%−20.9%−5.3%−26.1%−22.8%−37.6%23.1%+10.1%
LVHI InternationalFranklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF0.33+119%1.48+10.0%——————19.2%+11.8%
DXJ InternationalWisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund0.14+225%1.34+22.8%+1.1%+2.0%————19.0%+13.8%
HDV Dividend & IncomeiShares Core High Dividend ETF0.46+86.8%1.03+13.3%+15.8%—————19.9%+10.8%
MLPX EnergyGlobal X - MLP & Energy Infrastructure ETF0.44+138%0.98−4.5%+36.3%—————20.4%+12.4%
DBEF InternationalXtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF0.19+83.6%0.95+16.7%+6.3%—————19.0%+11.3%
SMH TechnologyVanEck Semiconductor ETF-0.01+304%0.94+38.5%+35.6%+60.5%−19.3%−47.0%−14.6%—19.6%+16.6%
XLE EnergyState Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF0.41+178%0.94−0.9%+28.0%+21.8%+33.8%−14.8%−18.2%+18.1%21.2%+13.2%
GLD CommoditiesSPDR Gold Shares0.32+120%0.93+12.8%+8.0%+24.0%————19.8%+12.2%

Stocks

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe201720162009200420022001199980/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
KR The Kroger Co. (this page)1.00+88.0%0.60−19.0%−16.4%−20.9%−5.3%−26.1%−22.8%−37.6%23.1%+10.1%
CAH Medical - DistributionCardinal Health, Inc.0.17+471%1.54−12.7%−17.5%−4.4%−4.7%−8.3%−2.5%−36.8%20.1%+16.0%
CLS Hardware, Equipment & PartsCelestica Inc.-0.01+2,780%1.43−11.6%+7.4%+105%−6.4%−65.1%−25.6%+350%21.8%+29.0%
MCK Medical - DistributionMcKesson Corporation0.41+397%1.41+12.0%−28.3%+62.9%−1.4%−27.2%+4.9%−71.3%21.0%+15.2%
FIX Engineering & ConstructionComfort Systems USA, Inc.0.14+1,452%1.41+32.1%+18.3%+17.8%+40.0%−9.4%+73.7%−58.7%21.6%+24.7%
MPC Oil & Gas Refining & MarketingMarathon Petroleum Corporation0.39+660%1.39+34.8%+0.7%—————21.9%+17.8%
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Common questions

What was KR's worst drawdown?

KR's deepest decline since it began trading in 1986 was 66.8%, from March 1999 to October 2002. It took about ten years from the low to climb back to its old high.

What were KR's best and worst years?

Over 29 full calendar years, KR's best year was 2014, when it returned 64.8%. Its worst was 1999, with a return of -37.7%.

Is there a better investment than KR?

Among KR's popular alternatives, COST and WMT earned more than KR with less volatility over the past 5 years. COST returned 17.4% a year at 22.9% volatility, against 13.5% a year at 27.4%. Looking beyond its popular alternatives, MUSA (convenience stores) earned more for the risk it took than KR over the past 5 years, and its worst fall in 10 years was 35.5%, against 43.8% for KR.

Is KR more volatile than the S&P 500?

Yes. KR's volatility over the past 5 years was 27.4%, 1.6 times the S&P 500's 17.2%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, KR's return lands within 27.4% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump.

What is KR's Sharpe ratio?

KR's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.60, against 0.78 for the S&P 500, so KR earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings.

How correlated is KR with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, KR's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.25 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They are only loosely linked, which makes it a real diversifier next to an index fund. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against KR instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a KR holding.

What are the best alternatives to KR?

Of the 20 popular alternatives we compared, four outperformed KR in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: COST, CASY and PSMT.

Did KR outperform the S&P 500?

KR finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in 15 of 29 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +4.2%, against +17.7% for the index.

How did KR do in stock market crashes?

KR fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in five of the ten major crashes it has traded through, and further in four. The clearest case was the Covid crash, when KR fell 13.0% and the S&P 500 fell 33.7%.

What diversifies KR?

These had a low correlation with KR over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, LVHI (correlation 0.33), DXJ (correlation 0.14) and HDV (correlation 0.46); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.17), CLS (correlation -0.01) and MCK (correlation 0.41). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

How we measure

More research

Popular alternatives to KR

Other stocks and ETFs