As the Q4 earnings season wraps, let’s dig into this quarter’s best and worst performers in the grocery store industry, including Albertsons (NYSE: ACI) and its peers.

Grocery stores are non-discretionary because they sell food, an essential staple for life (maybe not that ice cream?). Selling food, however, is a notoriously tough business as grocers must deal with the costs of procuring and transporting oftentimes perishable products. Plus, the costs of operating stores to sell everything from raw meat to ice cream and fresh fruit are high. Competition is also fierce because grocers and other peers such as wholesale clubs tend to sell very similar brands and products. On the bright side, grocery is one of the least penetrated categories in e-commerce because customers prefer to buy their food in person. Still, the online threat exists and will likely increase over time rather than dwindle.

The 4 grocery store stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.7%.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 3.1% on average since the latest earnings results.

Albertsons (NYSE: ACI)

With over 20 well-known grocery banners spanning 34 states, Albertsons (NYSE: ACI) operates food and drug retail stores across the US, offering groceries, pharmacy services, and own-brand products under banners like Safeway, Jewel-Osco, and Vons.

Albertsons reported revenues of $19.12 billion, up 1.9% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, and overall, it was a satisfactory quarter for the company with a decent beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates but gross margin in line with analysts’ estimates.

"Fiscal 2025 was a year of disciplined execution and resilience, as we closed the year with a solid fourth quarter that delivered strong Adjusted EBITDA despite meaningful top-line pharmacy-related headwinds," said Susan Morris, CEO of Albertsons Companies.

Albertsons delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth of the whole group. Even though it had a relatively good quarter, the market seems discontent with the results. The stock is down 17.4% since reporting and currently trades at $13.92.

Is now the time to buy Albertsons? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q4: Grocery Outlet (NASDAQ: GO)

Due to its differentiated procurement and buying approach, Grocery Outlet (NASDAQ: GO) is a discount grocery store chain that offers substantial discounts on name-brand products.

Grocery Outlet reported revenues of $1.17 billion, up 3.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 1.4%. The business had a strong quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 22.3% since reporting. It currently trades at $9.47.

Is now the time to buy Grocery Outlet? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: Kroger (NYSE: KR)

With a sprawling network of over 2,400 locations offering digital pickup services, Kroger (NYSE: KR) operates supermarkets, pharmacies, and fuel centers across 35 states, offering customers groceries, household items, and private-label products.

Kroger reported revenues of $46.12 billion, up 2.2% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 1.4%. Still, it was a mixed quarter as it posted a miss of analysts’ gross margin estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 11% since the results and currently trades at $57.06.

Read our full analysis of Kroger’s results here.

Sprouts (NASDAQ: SFM)

Playing on the secular trend of healthier living, Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ: SFM) is a grocery store chain emphasizing natural and organic products.

Sprouts reported revenues of $2.33 billion, up 4.1% year on year. This result was in line with analysts’ expectations. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it also logged a narrow beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates but full-year EPS guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

Sprouts scored the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 18.7% since reporting and currently trades at $84.40.

Read our full, actionable report on Sprouts here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand-wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

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