Here’s why Kroger’s prospects look bleak to one analyst while another loves them

Two analysts came out with opinions in the past week on Kroger Co. that show how imprecise the business of predicting stocks can be.Let’s start with the more surprising and less-common one that calls for Kroger stock to stagnate.Ajay Jain at New York-based Pivotal Research cut his rating on stock in Cincinnati-based Kroger (NYSE: KR) to “hold” from “buy.” Jain also lowered his 12-month target price for the stock to $35 from $38. Shares of Kroger, the nation’s