** Kroger KR.N raised lower-end of annual sales forecast on Thursday due to steady demand for its freshly sourced groceries
** Supermarket chain beats Q2 same-store sales estimates
** Median PT of 22 brokerages covering stock is $58.83 - LSEG
IMPROVING TRAFFIC and MARGINS
** Telsey Advisory Group ("outperform", PT: $62) says company's focus on value, sharper prices and personalized promotions helped co gain greater market share
** Adds company's growth areas such as personal finance, advertising and media significantly more profitable than core business of food retail
** Morgan Stanley ("equal weight", PT: $58) says KR continues to execute well despite tepid consumer spending
** BMO Capital Markets ("outperform", PT: $60) says KR's gross margin forecast could prove more stable-than-feared
** Brokerage expects investor engagement and interest to improve with clarity on the pending Albertsons merger
** Jefferies ("hold", PT: $54) says KR's Q2 results "solid", but will have to continuously reinvest to compete against lower-priced and more differentiated retailers for customer dollar
(Reporting by Anuja Bharat Mistry in Bengaluru)