Grocery Stores: The Kroger Co. owns the largest revenue base; Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has the fastest current growth.
The industry itself · before any single company
How has Grocery Stores moved against S&P 500?
The line below covers 5.2 years. Over the most recent two of them this industry is 22% behind S&P 500. Earnings across its companies fell 14% on average over the last four reported quarters.
ASLEEP · 1y −24.6%~Price down, no fundamental support1 of 10 companies ahead of S&P 500 by 5% or more over three months
Grocery Stores, equal-weighted, based at 200S&P 500, same base, same starttrailing 12-month earnings per share risingfalling
Strength anatomyNarrowHow much of the industry is participating, how recently, and whether the movers score well.
Together1 of 10 stocks moving
Fresh0 crossed in the last 4 weeks
Backed by scoresmovers score −18 vs the industry average
Down the cap ladder — bar is now, tick is four weeks ago
Large0/20
Mid1/40
Small0/4−1
Participation is not spreading downward this month; the larger companies are still carrying most of it.
Both lines start at 200 in the same week, so the distance between them is the whole story: the industry line is an equal-weighted index of its 10 companies. The bars underneath are trailing 12-month earnings per share, one bar per reported quarter, each member rebased to 100 at the start and the industry taking the median — so a price line pulling away from flat bars is a re-rating, not earnings. A bar turns red when that figure is lower than the quarter before. Rules are fixed and applied identically everywhere on this site: ahead by 5% or more over three months, or behind by 20% or more over a year while earnings grew 20% or more. Hover any point to read both values and the gap. This is a description of what the numbers did, not advice.
Sector relative strength · before individual stocks
Is Grocery Stores outperforming S&P 500?
Grocery Stores has underperformed S&P 500 by 19.9% over the last 52 weeks. Over 13 weeks the gap is a shortfall of 8.5%. 3 of 9 covered companies currently beat the S&P 500 on Mansfield relative strength, so leadership inside the sector is selective. Ingles Markets, Incorporated is the strongest against the sector itself at +13.7%.
-8.5%Sector vs S&P 500 · 13 weeks
-19.9%Sector vs S&P 500 · 52 weeks
3/9Stocks leading S&P 500
4/9Stocks leading sector
Sector metric: — as of latest available · unclassified · direction unavailable.
The central tension: the companies with the most scale are not necessarily the companies creating the most change.
Start with scale. Then earnings trajectory. Then business quality. Only after those three agree should price leadership carry much weight.
Bottom line
Grocery Stores has underperformed S&P 500 by 19.9% over 52 weeks and 8.5% over 13 weeks. 3 of 9 covered companies beat the S&P 500 on Mansfield relative strength, while 4 of 9 beat the sector itself. The Kroger Co. leads with revenue of $148,645 million, based on 6 of 10 comparable companies through Jun 2026.
Is the Grocery Stores sector outperforming S&P 500?
Grocery Stores has underperformed S&P 500 by 19.9% over 52 weeks and 8.5% over 13 weeks. 3 of 9 covered companies beat the S&P 500 on Mansfield relative strength, while 4 of 9 beat the sector itself.
Which Grocery Stores company is largest by revenue?
The Kroger Co. leads with revenue of $148,645 million, based on 6 of 10 comparable companies through Jun 2026.
Which Grocery Stores company is growing fastest?
Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has the fastest current revenue growth at 10.3%, across 6 of 10 comparable companies.
Which Grocery Stores company has the strongest 4-Factor Sector Score?
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. ranks first at 61.3/100 with 76% evidence confidence. The score prioritizes research; it is not a buy recommendation.
Which Grocery Stores company reports the most CAPEX?
The Kroger Co. reports the largest latest CAPEX at $1,293 million, with 10 of 10 companies comparable.
Which Grocery Stores company has the least gross debt?
Weis Markets, Inc. has the lowest comparable gross debt at $174 million. The Kroger Co. has the highest at $24,192 million.
Which Grocery Stores company has the lowest comparable PEG?
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has the lowest comparable Guarded PEG at 0.74, among 4 of 10 companies that pass the metric’s comparability rules.
How much history does this Grocery Stores comparison include?
The page compares up to 20 reported quarters per company for fundamentals, CAPEX, debt and valuation, ending Jun 2026. Missing observations remain blank rather than being estimated.
How is the 4-Factor Sector Score calculated?
The four visible contributions add directly: growth and earnings up to 35 points, capital efficiency up to 25, valuation up to 20, and relative strength up to 20. Missing or stale evidence moves only the affected contribution toward neutral.
Companies
10
complete canonical membership
Combined market value
$57.0B
The Kroger Co.
Revenue growing
5/6
positive TTM year-on-year growth
Beating S&P 500
3/9
positive Mansfield relative strength
Global company selection
00 · research priority, made explicit
4-Factor Sector Score
An additive sector-relative research score. The four displayed point contributions always equal the total: Growth & earnings (35), Capital efficiency (25), Valuation (20), and Relative strength (20). Missing or stale evidence is absorbed inside the affected factor, never applied as a hidden adjustment.
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has the strongest current balance of earnings trajectory, business quality, valuation and price confirmation, with 76% evidence confidence.
Village Super Market, Inc. has stronger price confirmation than earnings confirmation; that is a research prompt, not permission to chase.
Missing observations are not scored as bad. Their missing weight lowers confidence and pulls the final score toward neutral. PEG is guarded: positive earnings, positive 5–60% three-year EPS growth, and a positive P/E are required.
Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral.
19.0/35Growth & earnings
Revenue — · PAT — · OPM change —
24% evidence
13.0/25Capital efficiency
ROCE 6.5% · debt/equity 1.19×
68% evidence
10.0/20Valuation
P/E — · PEG —
0% evidence
10.0/20Relative strength
RS sector — · RS bench — · 1Y —
0% evidence
01 · compare level, then change
Revenue Scale & Growth Durability
The Kroger Co. has the highest Revenue among the 10 Grocery Stores companies compared here, at $148,645 million. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. is next at $8,899 million. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has the highest Revenue growth at 10.3%, so level and change sit with different companies. 6 of 10 companies report a comparable reading, the latest through Jun 2026.
What the numbers say: The Kroger Co. is the scale leader at $148,645 million, 16.7× the revenue of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.'s growth is 10.3% from a $8,899 million base, with 19 reported observations in the 20-quarter window. Treat the growth leader as an acceleration candidate, not as equally proven scale.
LeaderThe Kroger Co. · $148,645 million
Gap16.7× versus #2 · Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.
Persistence5/8 recent comparable periods
Coverage6/10 companies · 171 observations
Investor read: The Kroger Co. is the scale benchmark; Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. is the acceleration watch. Promote the challenger only if growth persists and converts into margin and returns.
This conclusion weakens if: The Kroger Co.'s growth falls below Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.'s for two consecutive comparable reports while operating margin also compresses.
Revenue is compared on a common reported-currency basis. Growth is year-on-year, so seasonality does not masquerade as progress.
Revenuelargest
1The Kroger Co. KR$148.6B
2Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. SFM$8.9B
3Weis Markets, Inc. WMK$5.0B
4Village Super Market, Inc. VLGEA$2.4B
5Krispy Kreme, Inc. DNUT$1.5B
Revenue growthfastest growers
1Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. SFM10%
2Village Super Market, Inc. VLGEA4.2%
3Weis Markets, Inc. WMK4.2%
4Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. NGVC3.1%
5The Kroger Co. KR1.1%
Revenue · company comparison
6/10 level · 6/10 change
Solid lines show level; dotted lines show change when “Both” is selected. Missing reports break the line rather than being invented.
All-company data · latest reported quarter
Each figure is the company’s latest single reported quarter. The rankings above use trailing-twelve-month or current-market values, so a company can legitimately show a different number in each.
Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has the highest OPM among the 10 Grocery Stores companies compared here, at 9.2%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. is next at 5.4%. Krispy Kreme, Inc. has the highest Margin change at +4.4 percentage points, so level and change sit with different companies. Its OPM series carries 19 reported observations across the 20-quarter window.
What the numbers say: Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. leads opm at 9.2%; Krispy Kreme, Inc. leads margin change at +4.4 percentage points.
LeaderSprouts Farmers Market, Inc. · 9.2%
Gap70.4% versus #2 · Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.
Persistence7/8 recent comparable periods
Coverage9/10 companies · 162 observations
Investor read: Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. sets the level benchmark; use the change leader as an inflection watch only after another comparable report confirms it.
This conclusion weakens if: The next two comparable reports reverse the current margin change signal.
Operating margin compares operating profit with revenue. Improvement is measured in percentage points, not percentage growth.
OPMhighest
1Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. SFM9.2%
2Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. NGVC5.4%
3The Kroger Co. KR3.1%
4Weis Markets, Inc. WMK2.8%
5Ingles Markets, Incorporated IMKTA2.6%
Margin changefastest expanders
1Krispy Kreme, Inc. DNUT+4.4 pp
2Ingles Markets, Incorporated IMKTA+1.0 pp
3Weis Markets, Inc. WMK+1.0 pp
4The Kroger Co. KR+0.2 pp
5Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. NGVC+0.2 pp
Operating margin · company comparison
9/10 level · 9/10 change
Solid lines show level; dotted lines show change when “Both” is selected. Missing reports break the line rather than being invented.
All-company data · latest reported quarter
Each figure is the company’s latest single reported quarter. The rankings above use trailing-twelve-month or current-market values, so a company can legitimately show a different number in each.
The Kroger Co. has the highest Net profit among the 10 Grocery Stores companies compared here, at $1,060 million. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. is next at $508 million. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has the highest Profit growth at 17.1%, so level and change sit with different companies.
What the numbers say: The Kroger Co. leads with $1,060 million of TTM profit, 108.7% above Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. shows 17.1% growth from a $48 million profit base. Compare the size of the base and persistence before ranking acceleration above profit scale.
LeaderThe Kroger Co. · $1,060 million
Gap108.7% versus #2 · Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.
Persistence3/8 recent comparable periods
Coverage6/10 companies · 171 observations
Investor read: The Kroger Co. sets the level benchmark; use the change leader as an inflection watch only after another comparable report confirms it.
This conclusion weakens if: The next two comparable reports reverse the current profit growth signal.
Net profit is the residual after operating costs, interest and tax. Growth off a loss or near-zero base is excluded from the fastest-grower rank.
Net profitlargest
1The Kroger Co. KR$1.1B
2Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. SFM$508M
3Weis Markets, Inc. WMK$101M
4Village Super Market, Inc. VLGEA$55M
5Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. NGVC$48M
Profit growthfastest growers
1Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. NGVC17%
2Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. SFM14%
3Village Super Market, Inc. VLGEA-1.8%
4Weis Markets, Inc. WMK-5.6%
5The Kroger Co. KR-59%
Net profit · company comparison
6/10 level · 5/10 change
Solid lines show level; dotted lines show change when “Both” is selected. Missing reports break the line rather than being invented.
All-company data · latest reported quarter
Each figure is the company’s latest single reported quarter. The rankings above use trailing-twelve-month or current-market values, so a company can legitimately show a different number in each.
The Kroger Co. has the highest CAPEX among the 10 Grocery Stores companies compared here, at $1,293 million. Albertsons Companies, Inc. is next at $522 million. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has the highest CAPEX intensity at 5.9%, so level and change sit with different companies. 10 of 10 companies report a comparable reading, the latest through Jun 2026.
What the numbers say: The Kroger Co. reports $1,293 million of CAPEX; Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has the highest covered intensity at 5.9%. Coverage is only 10 of 10 companies and 175 reported observations, so this is partial evidence—not a complete sector rank.
LeaderThe Kroger Co. · $1,293 million
Gap147.7% versus #2 · Albertsons Companies, Inc.
Persistence8/8 recent comparable periods
Coverage10/10 companies · 175 observations
Investor read: Use the CAPEX rank as a diligence queue. Verify commissioning, utilization, cash conversion and post-investment ROCE before treating spend as value creation.
This conclusion weakens if: CAPEX rises without higher utilization, operating cash flow or incremental returns.
CAPEX is cash spent on property, plant, equipment and other reported capital assets. CAPEX intensity divides that spend by revenue; high intensity is a reinvestment signal, not proof that the reinvestment will earn attractive returns.
CAPEXlargest spenders
1The Kroger Co. KR$1.3B
2Albertsons Companies, Inc. ACI$522M
3Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. SFM$101M
4Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. GO$53M
5Weis Markets, Inc. WMK$39M
CAPEX intensityhighest reinvestment intensity
1Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. NGVC5.9%
2Yesway, Inc. YSWY5.7%
3Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. GO4.5%
4Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. SFM4.3%
5Weis Markets, Inc. WMK3.1%
Capital expenditure · company comparison
10/10 level · 10/10 change
Solid lines show level; dotted lines show change when “Both” is selected. Missing reports break the line rather than being invented.
All-company data · latest reported quarter
Each figure is the company’s latest single reported quarter. The rankings above use trailing-twelve-month or current-market values, so a company can legitimately show a different number in each.
Capacity base is net fixed assets plus capital work in progress, straight off the reported balance sheet. It is not cash spent, so it answers a narrower question than CAPEX — but it is reported for companies whose cash-flow CAPEX is not published, which is why it leads here. Missing years remain blank; annual values are never relabelled as quarters.
Full annual capacity base, operating cash flow, CAPEX and free cash flow history
Capacity base · net fixed assets + CWIP · fiscal-year history
Weis Markets, Inc. has the lowest Gross debt among the 10 Grocery Stores companies compared here, at $174 million. Village Super Market, Inc. is next at $320 million. The same company also holds the lowest Net debt, at $57 million net cash. 10 of 10 companies report a comparable reading, the latest through Mar 2026.
What the numbers say: Weis Markets, Inc. has the clearest covered balance-sheet capacity with $57 million net cash and gross debt of $174 million. Absolute debt alone does not identify the strongest balance sheet because company scale differs; net debt and debt-to-equity carry more information.
LeaderWeis Markets, Inc. · $174 million
Gap45.6% versus #2 · Village Super Market, Inc.
Persistence8/8 recent comparable periods
Coverage10/10 companies · 178 observations
Investor read: Prioritize net-cash capacity and leverage relative to operating scale, not the smallest absolute rupee debt.
This conclusion weakens if: Net debt rises faster than revenue and profit for two consecutive reported periods.
Gross debt shows contractual borrowings. Net debt subtracts reported cash; a negative value means net cash. Lower debt can create capacity, but should be read against the scale and capital intensity of the business.
Gross debtlowest gross debt
1Weis Markets, Inc. WMK$174M
2Village Super Market, Inc. VLGEA$320M
3Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. NGVC$325M
4Ingles Markets, Incorporated IMKTA$530M
5Yesway, Inc. YSWY$981M
Net debtlowest net debt
1Weis Markets, Inc. WMK$-57M
2Ingles Markets, Incorporated IMKTA$112M
3Village Super Market, Inc. VLGEA$191M
4Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. NGVC$304M
5Yesway, Inc. YSWY$944M
Debt and balance-sheet capacity · company comparison
10/10 level · 10/10 change
Solid lines show level; dotted lines show change when “Both” is selected. Missing reports break the line rather than being invented.
All-company data · latest reported quarter
Each figure is the company’s latest single reported quarter. The rankings above use trailing-twelve-month or current-market values, so a company can legitimately show a different number in each.
Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has the highest ROCE among the 10 Grocery Stores companies compared here, at 6.7%. Yesway, Inc. is next at 6.5%. Weis Markets, Inc. has the highest ROCE change at +0.8 percentage points, so level and change sit with different companies. 10 of 10 companies report a comparable reading, the latest through Mar 2026.
What the numbers say: Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. leads ROCE at 6.7%, 0.2 percentage points above Yesway, Inc.. Weis Markets, Inc. has the strongest latest improvement at +0.8 percentage points. Read the leader beside the density of its reported history: a sparse high return is a candidate; a repeated high return is evidence of durability.
LeaderSprouts Farmers Market, Inc. · 6.7%
Gap3.1% versus #2 · Yesway, Inc.
Persistence7/8 recent comparable periods
Coverage10/10 companies · 175 observations
Investor read: Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. sets the level benchmark; use the change leader as an inflection watch only after another comparable report confirms it.
This conclusion weakens if: The next two comparable reports reverse the current roce change signal.
ROCE asks how much operating return the business earns on the capital employed. Direction matters, but a single exceptional year should not be mistaken for durability.
ROCEhighest
1Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. SFM6.7%
2Yesway, Inc. YSWY6.5%
3The Kroger Co. KR4.1%
4Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. NGVC3.6%
5Weis Markets, Inc. WMK2.1%
ROCE changefastest improvers
1Weis Markets, Inc. WMK+0.8 pp
2Yesway, Inc. YSWY+0.8 pp
3Krispy Kreme, Inc. DNUT+0.6 pp
4Ingles Markets, Incorporated IMKTA+0.5 pp
5The Kroger Co. KR+0.4 pp
Return on capital · company comparison
10/10 level · 10/10 change
Solid lines show level; dotted lines show change when “Both” is selected. Missing reports break the line rather than being invented.
All-company data · latest reported quarter
Each figure is the company’s latest single reported quarter. The rankings above use trailing-twelve-month or current-market values, so a company can legitimately show a different number in each.
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has the lowest Guarded PEG among the 10 Grocery Stores companies compared here, at 0.74×. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. is next at 0.87×. Village Super Market, Inc. has the lowest P/E at 11.5×, so level and change sit with different companies. 4 of 10 companies report a comparable reading, the latest through Mar 2026.
What the numbers say: Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has the lowest comparable Guarded PEG at 0.74×, 14.9% below Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.. Only 4 of 10 companies pass the guard, so no broad “cheapest stock” conclusion is defensible unless the current multiple, own-history position and growth durability agree.
LeaderNatural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. · 0.74×
Gap14.9% versus #2 · Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.
Persistence0/8 recent comparable periods
Coverage4/10 companies · 29 observations
Investor read: Treat valuation as permission to investigate, never as a standalone reason to buy.
This conclusion weakens if: The next two comparable reports reverse the current p/e signal.
PEG is shown only when earnings are positive and three-year EPS growth is between 5% and 60%. It is recomputed consistently as the trailing P/E divided by that growth rate — reported earnings, never an expected-earnings multiple. On Indian companies it is shown only where the two data sources reconciled. A missing PEG is more honest than a low-base fiction.
Guarded PEGlowest PEG
1Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. NGVC0.7
2Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. SFM0.9
3The Kroger Co. KR1.5
4Weis Markets, Inc. WMK3.3
P/Elowest P/E
1Village Super Market, Inc. VLGEA11.5
2Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. NGVC12.4
3Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. SFM14.9
4Ingles Markets, Incorporated IMKTA16.1
5Weis Markets, Inc. WMK16.6
Valuation · company comparison
4/10 level · 9/10 change
Solid lines show level; dotted lines show change when “Both” is selected. Missing reports break the line rather than being invented.
All-company data · latest reported quarter
Each figure is the company’s latest single reported quarter. The rankings above use trailing-twelve-month or current-market values, so a company can legitimately show a different number in each.
Weis Markets, Inc. has the lowest EV/EBITDA among the 10 Grocery Stores companies compared here, at 6.45×. Ingles Markets, Incorporated is next at 6.74×. Krispy Kreme, Inc. has the lowest P/BV at 0.88×, so level and change sit with different companies. 9 of 10 companies report a comparable reading, the latest through Mar 2026.
What the numbers say: Weis Markets, Inc. leads ev/ebitda at 6.45×; Krispy Kreme, Inc. leads p/bv at 0.88×.
LeaderWeis Markets, Inc. · 6.45×
Gap4.3% versus #2 · Ingles Markets, Incorporated
Persistence0/8 recent comparable periods
Coverage9/10 companies · 161 observations
Investor read: Treat valuation as permission to investigate, never as a standalone reason to buy.
This conclusion weakens if: The next two comparable reports reverse the current p/bv signal.
EV/EBITDA includes debt in enterprise value and is useful across different capital structures. P/BV prices the company against its own book. Both are market multiples on reported figures, not intrinsic-value estimates and not forecasts.
EV/EBITDAlowest EV/EBITDA
1Weis Markets, Inc. WMK6.5
2Ingles Markets, Incorporated IMKTA6.7
3Albertsons Companies, Inc. ACI6.9
4Village Super Market, Inc. VLGEA7.9
5Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. NGVC9.4
P/BVlowest P/BV
1Krispy Kreme, Inc. DNUT0.9
2Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. GO0.9
3Ingles Markets, Incorporated IMKTA1.0
4Village Super Market, Inc. VLGEA1.2
5Weis Markets, Inc. WMK1.2
Enterprise and book valuation · company comparison
9/10 level · 9/10 change
Solid lines show level; dotted lines show change when “Both” is selected. Missing reports break the line rather than being invented.
All-company data · latest reported quarter
Each figure is the company’s latest single reported quarter. The rankings above use trailing-twelve-month or current-market values, so a company can legitimately show a different number in each.
Ingles Markets, Incorporated has the strongest one-year price move in Grocery Stores at +42.4%. It also leads on Mansfield relative strength against the S&P 500 at +5.2%. 3 of 9 covered companies are above zero on that measure. Every line covers 314 weekly closes through 2026-07-28.
Every price line is indexed to 100 over the chosen window. Mansfield relative strength compares a price ratio with its own 52-week average; zero separates leadership from lagging.
Price and relative strength
Price is rebased to 100 inside the selected window. Pair ratio rebases each selected company against one chosen denominator.
Before the conclusion · check the blind spots
What can make this comparison misleading?
This Grocery Stores comparison names 4 specific ways its own evidence can mislead, all listed below. All 10 companies here report on comparable dates, so no rank carries a stale marker. A high growth rate can still be a low-base artefact.
Keep these limits visible
A high growth rate can be a low-base artefact. The page keeps level and change separate for that reason.
A high ROCE can be temporary or flattered by a small capital base. Read it beside margin, cash conversion and reinvestment.
The 4-Factor Sector Score ranks research priority, not portfolio action. Management quality, catalysts and risks need equally fresh evidence before capital is deployed.
An “all companies” line chart preserves completeness, but rank changes should be checked against reporting dates before drawing a conclusion.
10 · the complete set
Which companies are included?
All 10 companies in the canonical Grocery Stores membership are listed below, largest market value first — nothing is silently dropped, even where a company reports too little to rank. The charts above default to a selective view; this register is the complete set, with each company's own latest reporting date beside it.
AHEAD means the company is beating the index by 5% or more over three months. LAGGING, FUNDAMENTALS UP means it is 20% or more behind over a year while its trailing twelve-month earnings grew 20% or more. Both rules are fixed and applied the same way in every sector.
This comparison is built from the reported filings of 10 Grocery Stores companies, normalized to a common $ scale and a shared quarter axis of up to 20 quarters each. Fundamentals run through Jun 2026 and market data through 2026-07-28. A second data feed fills gaps only after identity and scale reconciliation, and missing observations are never interpolated.
FundamentalsThrough Jun 2026 · up to 20 quarters per company
Market dataThrough 2026-07-28 · weekly price and relative-strength history
Derived metricsGrowth, changes, CAPEX intensity, net debt, guarded PEG and P/BV÷ROE are calculated only when their inputs are comparable.
Score confidenceMissing and stale evidence reduces confidence and pulls the 0–100 research-priority score toward neutral.
These 18 answers restate the Grocery Stores comparison above in question form. Every one is computed from the same 10 companies and the same reported filings as the rankings and charts, current through Jun 2026. Price and relative-strength answers run through 2026-07-28. Nothing here is estimated, and none of it is a recommendation.
Which Grocery Stores company is the biggest?
The Kroger Co. is the largest, with trailing-twelve-month revenue of $148,645 million, ahead of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. at $8,899 million. That covers 6 of 10 companies with comparable reporting through Jun 2026.
Which Grocery Stores company is growing fastest?
Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has the fastest revenue growth at 10.3% year on year, across 6 of 10 comparable companies. Fast growth off a small base is not the same as proven scale — check whether the rate holds across several quarters on the chart above before treating it as a trend.
Which Grocery Stores company has the best profit margins?
Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has the highest operating margin at 9.2%, from 9 of 10 comparable companies. Krispy Kreme, Inc. shows the biggest recent improvement, at +4.4 percentage points. A high margin matters most when it is holding or rising, not when it is peaking.
Which Grocery Stores company makes the most profit?
The Kroger Co. earns the most, at $1,060 million of trailing-twelve-month net profit, from 6 of 10 comparable companies. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has the fastest profit growth at 17.1%, though growth off a small or recovering profit base overstates how much has actually changed.
Which Grocery Stores company earns the highest return on capital?
Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. leads on return on capital employed at 6.7%, across 10 of 10 companies. Read it beside the length of its reported history: a high return that repeats for years is evidence of a durable business, while a single high reading can be a small capital base or one good year.
Which Grocery Stores stock is the cheapest?
On guarded PEG — where a LOWER number is cheaper — Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. screens cheapest at 0.74×. Only 4 of 10 companies pass the comparability guard, so this is not a sector-wide "cheapest stock" verdict. Cheap on a multiple is a reason to investigate, never a reason to buy on its own.
Which Grocery Stores company has the strongest balance sheet?
Weis Markets, Inc. carries the lowest comparable gross debt at $174 million, from 10 of 10 companies. Absolute rupee debt alone does not settle it, because company scale differs — net debt and debt-to-equity in the chart above carry more information, and a very low-debt balance sheet can also mean under-investment.
Which Grocery Stores company is investing most in new capacity?
The Kroger Co. reports the largest capital spending at $1,293 million, across 10 of 10 companies. Spending consumes cash before it earns anything, so treat the ranking as a diligence queue: check commissioning, utilisation and the return earned on the completed assets before reading spend as value creation.
Is the Grocery Stores sector beating the market?
Grocery Stores has underperformed S&P 500 by 19.9% over the last 52 weeks and 8.5% over 13 weeks, measured on an equal-weight index of its current members. Inside the sector, 3 of 9 covered companies are beating the market on their own. Sector strength does not transfer evenly to every stock in it.
Which Grocery Stores stock has the strongest price momentum?
Ingles Markets, Incorporated has the strongest relative strength against S&P 500. Relative strength answers last, after growth, quality and valuation: price can move well before the fundamentals confirm it, and sometimes without them confirming at all.
Which Grocery Stores company scores highest for research priority?
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. scores 61.3 out of 100 with 76% evidence confidence, from 19.7 points on growth and earnings, 13.1 on capital efficiency, 16.1 on valuation and 12.4 on relative strength. This ranks what deserves work next. It is not a buy recommendation, and management quality, catalysts and risk still need separate research.
How many Grocery Stores companies does this comparison cover, and over what period?
It compares 10 listed companies over up to 20 reported quarters of fundamentals and 7 fiscal years of capital allocation, ending Jun 2026, plus weekly price and relative-strength history. Membership is the full sector list — nothing is dropped for having thin data.
What is the total market cap of the Grocery Stores sector?
The 10 Grocery Stores companies on this page carry $56,961 million of combined market value. The Kroger Co. is the largest at $36,263 million, about 64% of the sector's total on its own. Market value moves with price, so this reading is dated 2026-07-28.
What is the Grocery Stores sector's P/E ratio?
The median price-to-earnings ratio across the 10 Grocery Stores companies on this page is 16.6×, measured on the 9 that report a comparable figure. A sector-level history for this multiple is not held here, so this is a cross-section of today, not a comparison with the sector’s own past. Figures are as of 2026-07-28.
How is the Grocery Stores sector performing?
3 of the 9 covered Grocery Stores companies are beating S&P 500 on Mansfield relative strength. The sector itself is 19.9% behind S&P 500 over 52 weeks on an equal-weight index of its current members. Readings are as of 2026-07-28.
How many Grocery Stores stocks are listed in the US?
This comparison covers 10 listed Grocery Stores companies in the US, each above the size floor the site applies. The full ranked list is on this page, with reported fundamentals through Jun 2026. Membership is the full industry list — nothing is dropped for having thin data.
Why are some values on this page blank?
A blank means that company did not report a comparable figure for that period, so nothing is shown. Missing observations are never interpolated, carried forward, or replaced with a similar-looking accounting line, and a company with missing evidence has its research score pulled toward neutral rather than being scored as bad.
Is this investment advice?
No. Every figure here is a deterministic calculation from reported company filings and market data, published for research. It contains no recommendation to buy or sell any security, does not account for your circumstances, and is not a substitute for advice from a licensed adviser.