Kroger Co. Q1 Profit Increases, beats estimates

(RTTNews) - Kroger Co. (KR) released a profit for its first quarter that increased from the same period last year and beat the Street estimates.

The company's earnings came in at $664 million, or $0.90 per share. This compares with $140 million, or $0.18 per share, in last year's first quarter.

Excluding items, Kroger Co. reported adjusted earnings of $1.07 billion or $1.45 per share for the period.

Analysts on average had expected the company to earn $1.30 per share, according to figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

The company's revenue for the quarter rose 8.0% to $44.60 billion from $41.30 billion last year.

Kroger Co. earnings at a glance (GAAP) :

-Earnings (Q1): $664 Mln. vs. $140 Mln. last year. -EPS (Q1): $0.90 vs. $0.18 last year. -Analyst Estimate: $1.30 -Revenue (Q1): $44.60 Bln vs. $41.30 Bln last year.

-Guidance: Full year EPS guidance: $3.85 - $3.95