Kroger 4Q Profit Rises 36%

Cincinnati, Kroger Co. said Tuesday its fourth-quarter profit climbed 36% on strong sales growth. Quarterly earnings rose to $384.8 million from $282.1 million in the prior-year quarter. Revenue grew 15% to $16.86 billion from $14.72 billion a year ago. Comp-store sales grew 5.9% in the quarter, including fuel centers. Excluding the fuel centers, comp-store sales climbed 5.5%.