Wells Fargo analysts expect the situation to improve in the next few quarters, so they raised Kroger's rating from “hold and wait” to “increase holdings” and raised the target price by 12% to $65. Analysts expect that the overall environment of the US grocery industry will improve based on anti-inflation approaching bottom in the first quarter, and sales pressure on groceries that are still expensive to eat out will ease, and the return of supplier promotions will help traditional grocers to the greatest extent. Wells Fargo also believes that if the Kroger and Albertsons merger is ultimately shelved by US antitrust agencies, Kroger's shareholders will benefit from the company's aggressive share buybacks, which are expected to reach about $10 billion.