Investors haven't found many reasons to celebrate Kroger's (NYSE: KR) last few earnings reports. That's because the supermarket giant's growth hit a wall over the past 18 months, just when its industry peers were posting impressive sales numbers. The chain's rebound plans haven't delivered concrete results, either, while pushing profitability lower.
On Thursday, Kroger has a chance to change that negative operating story with its fiscal second-quarter earnings report. Management has in fact predicted improving metrics, and this week's results will show whether that bright outlook was too optimistic. Let's take a closer look.
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