The Kroger Co. said its normalized net income for the fiscal fourth quarter ended Jan. 31 came to 52 cents per share, compared with the S&P Capital IQ consensus estimate of 45 cents per share.
EPS rose 31.6% year over year from 40 cents.
Normalized net income, which excludes unusual gains or losses on a pre- and after-tax basis, was $516.3 million, a gain of 25.5% from $411.3 million in the fourth quarter ended Feb. 1, 2014.
The normalized profit margin increased to 2.0% from 1.8% in the year-earlier period.
Total revenue rose 8.5% year over year to $25.21 billion from $23.22 billion, and total operating expenses increased 8.1% year over year to $24.26 billion from $22.45 billion.
Reported net income grew 21.6% on an annual basis to $509.5 million, or 52 cents per share, from $419.1 million, or 41 cents per share.
For the year, the company's normalized net income totaled $1.67 per share, compared with the S&P Capital IQ consensus normalized EPS estimate of $1.71.
EPS rose 19.9% from $1.39 in the prior year.
Normalized net income was $1.66 billion, a rise of 14.6% from $1.45 billion in the prior year.
Full-year total revenue increased 10.3% from the prior-year period to $108.47 billion from $98.38 billion, and total operating expenses increased 10.1% on an annual basis to $105.29 billion from $95.59 billion.
The company said reported net income grew 13.4% on an annual basis to $1.71 billion, or $1.72 per share, in the full year, from $1.51 billion, or $1.45 per share.
