Kroger (KR🐻) shares slipped Thursday after the grocery giant reported third-quarter results mos🅠tly below analysts' estimates.

The company reported $33.63 billion in revenue, below the $34.22 billion 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:expected by analysts polled by Visible Alpha. 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Net income came in at $618 million, beneath the $659.3 million projection.

After stripping out one-time charges like costs related to the chain's proposed merger with Albertsons (ACI), Kroger's adjusted 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:earnings per share (EPS) of $0.98 came in a penny above estimates.

澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Last quarter, interim 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Todd Foley said Kroger was beginning to see "positive customer trends" driving sales, which it expected to continue in the second half of the year. On Thursd๊ay, CEO Rodney McMullenౠ said Kroger expects the "macroeconomic environment to remain uncertain near-term."

Kroger, Albertsons Await Outcome of FTC Suit

McMullen echoed previous comments about the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:outstanding legal challenge from the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to Kroger's proposed merger with Albertsons, saying the company is "confident in the facts and the strength of our p🍌osit💦ion."

The trial over the FTC's efforts to halt the merger 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:ended in September, and Kroger has continued to say that it expects the deal to close in the fourth quarter.

Following last month's presidential election, 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Kroger and other stocks involved in pending mergers ros🎐e on sentiment that a second Trump administration would likely be more relaxed on regulatory issues tha🉐n the Biden administration has been.

Kroger shares, which had gained about 30% this year through Wednesday's close, slipped 1% in premarket trading.